High Blood Pressure from KB’s

[nyamcbel]

@jimpncc The program you're running is not the cause. You are getting older and you need to adapt. While working with kb is good by itself it us not sufficient. You must add in walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, yoga, meditation, etc ... Pick a couple or do them all if you are able. Help out your kidneys and drink more water. And revisit the 16 hour fasting. You may have to listen to tour body rather than force it. Just my 2 cents.

 

[jimpncc]

@nyamcbel Thanks. That is my assumption as well. I am trying to make sure this protocol is not the culprit.

 

[batteredbaptist]

@jimpncc there are some observational studies, not specifically with KB, but it can't differ that much. the relation with sports and high blood pressure seems more related to more common risk factors than to the specific sport

like this: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23897848/

"...Among measured characteristics, lineman field position, intraseason weight gain, and family history of hypertension were the strongest independent predictors of postseason BP..."

Also keep in mind that just resistance training promotes myocardial hypertrophy.

An educated guess in your case could be slight LV hypertrophy with some diastolic dysfunction plus maybe age and high blood pressure family history?

I'll quote this from somewhere else (uptodate):

"...Workup of athlete diagnosed with hypertension — All athletes with a new diagnosis of hypertension should receive an appropriate workup as would be performed for any patient..."

if I had to recommend something is just get checked like any other hypertensive patient, also engage in more aerobic training. the heart adapts differently to aerobic training in a good way

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6199487/

"...The effect of exercise on angiogenesis appears positive. Both resistance and aerobic exercise have positive effects, but many evidences suggest that the effects are more pronounced with aerobic exercise..."

 

[jimpncc]

@batteredbaptist Thank you. This is helpful.

 

[batteredbaptist]

@jimpncc thanks!

 

[david77123]

@jimpncc There are supplements that can help. Beet juice, Niacin, NADH, comes to mind. Even just a high quality daily multi-vitamin is worth it.

 

[ellexshmell]

@jimpncc What's your diastolic? How much of an increase have you seen and how long has it been sustained?

 

[jimpncc]

@ellexshmell It is typically 85-90, sometimes 78-80, and a few times 95-98 over the past few weeks. At the doctors 3 weeks ago it was 87.

 

[ellexshmell]

@jimpncc So, personally, my opinion is that those fluctuations are minute. The 95-98 is concerning but only if sustained or if you're feeling symptomatic. I'd say it's a benign issue for now but monitor. (Huge caveat, not a doctor. Just a medic.)

 

[forhiskingdom]

@jimpncc I agree with most the posts that say go to the MD. With that said I highly doubt using KB would do this. Training usually does not cause this more like the opposite. Unless you get no cardio work. let’s be honest kb give you plenty of that. Look at Cal Dietz triphasic data for an example. Bp and testing hr decreased significantly in his eccentric phase. Get your blood panel down and talk to your md

 

[jimpncc]

@forhiskingdom Thanks for your reply. That is what I am thinking also.

 

[em3817]

@jimpncc Is this your only training?

I saw Michael Mosley talking about this kind of exercise routine in a tv show about heart health, where office workers would take 2 minute intervals on a bike to break up their day. They had good results, but were not doing any exercise outside of this...

The author of the article you linked even says "not a training plan" or words to this effect. Seems like it's more geared towards metabolism and fat loss.

Apart from the Grease the Groove type benefits, it doesn't seem like enough work to reap a lot of cardio health, or even strength gains.

Also, check out the post earlier about being a cardio bunny, a good read. More LSS cardio would be the go?

 

[nac27]

@em3817 it's not a program- it's just a little activity to offset sitting at a computer! OP is not really doing any program....and wonders why high BP? Needs to walk an hour a day, or do S&S or something.

 

[em3817]

@nac27 Exactly. A structured strength program and 30 mins of low intensity cardio 3-4 times a week should sort him out!

 

[kenforgod]

@jimpncc maybe it's got nothing to do with your training or current lifestyle, there is I think a familial/genetic predisposition to hypertension , a cardiologist can answer better

 

[gregory_r_g]

@jimpncc Without actual blood pressure figures, before and after, this is a bit of a nonsense thread. I will say however that doing KB swings every hour for 8 hours a day seems like madness and a road towards injury. To me from a common sense perspective, any prolonged elevated heart activity is like a stress response from your body having to be in constant recovery mode.

I really think some of these fad exercise routines created by self-proclaimed experts or experienced lifters on workout websites seem scientifically unsound and are unwise for regular folks.

 

[dakotastewart]

@jimpncc If you think it’s from switching your training couldn’t you simply switch it back and see if it lowers

 

[nac27]

@jimpncc I looked at the article by Zonin you call a 'program,' but I think it was just intended as something to do if you're desk (computer) bound to offset the problems from that. I would not rely on it to keep me in shape! The best exercise for reducing bp in general is long, slow/low cardio, and lots of it. Running, biking, swimming, or walking with heart rate kept in ez zones, able to talk (except for swimming! haha). They don't know why bp gets high for sure anyway- could be food, alcohol, meds, whatever.

 

[ricklove]

@jimpncc Everybody is different, but one thing that I think maybe has been studied, and I’ve certainly noticed anecdotally, is how training in predominantly sprint formats can trigger more of a stress response in your body. If your running around with a jacked up cortisol level from being super stressed, be it emotional or physiological or whatever, your BP is going to be high (and that stress response is the mechanism behind why stress is a modifiable risk factor for a lot of chronic diseases.

Conversely, training in a more low-intensity, steady state fashion is going to give you adaptations that reflect a more efficient heart/lungs, like lower resting heart rate and lower BP and such, and does not put you into a stress state the way that super intense stuff does (unless you drastically overdo it before you’re ready).

I would venture a guess that either the more intense reps, even for super short sets, done that many times throughout the day is possibly giving your body more of a stress response, and/or the absence of other types of training you used to do that previously did give you the benefits more typically associated with lesser intensity, longer duration activity (like going for long brisk walks, or 30 min easy jogs, etc, as opposed to doing hill sprints) is responsible for the change if it’s not just normal minute fluctuation.

Or, you might have more mental/emotional stress and it’s outpacing the benefits of your exercise, or you have congenital hypertension that’s no longer being effectively controlled by your exercise.

If you want to do an experiment, stop your current training and go back to whatever you did before and see if it stops? Or, google the Dan Martin program minimum minimum (or read the stickied thread on it over at the danjohn section on Dave Draper.com forum, or do some other low intensity type of workout) and see if your BP lowers. You could examine if it training-related by messing around with how you train and seeing what happens?

 

[jimpncc]

@ricklove Thank you. This is helpful.