I’m suffering from hypertension – should I stop training?

Hypertension does not constitute a contraindication for training but is an important factor that needs to be taken into consideration when designing the programme. An appropriately designed programme influences circulatory system including vascularization of muscles and other adpatory changes which can have hypotensive effect. However, there are cases of hypertension when training is not allowed due to progression of the disease, difficulties with pharmacological stabilisation of the tension and other diseases accompanying hypertension. Such situations do not happen very often and usually refer to the elderly with accompanying diseases (uraemia, renal failure, advanced neoplasm)

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In most cases training which takes into consideration hypertension of the athlete can be performed and assisted by an appropriate diet whose well balanced ingredients such as sodium, potassium and others can have hypotensive effect.

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If the athlete gets diagnosed with a hypertension they should not quit training as it can have negative effect on their health (in reference to hypertension) as training is already certain element to which the organism got accustomed. The training plan of the athletes should be verified e.g. if the training consists of strengthening exercises which involve strong muscular tension and effort on apnoea - they should be reduced and also these involving rising tension in initial position etc. In case of endurance trainings the period influencing sphere of anaerobic changes should be reduced at aerobic efforts’ expense.

Orma