If weight lifting hardens the arteries, is it worth doing?

[DGA3]

I've been working out for around 40 years now (I'm 57), but have recently seen several references to weight lifting and hardening of the arteries. Supposedly it has something to do with how high one's blood pressure goes up during a max rep or set (I don't understand the whole thing).

I've always been perfectly healthy. I get a physical every year. Blood pressure is fine (120/80). Cholesterol is good if you go by the ratio and not overall "+200" measurement (LDL is 146; HDL is 64; triglyceride level is 139). No joint problems. I eat healthy 90% of the time. The only alcohol I drink would be Bud Lights, and usually in moderation (unless watching an extremely close Buckeye game!).

I have been working out on and off nearly all my life, and I think it has kept me young and energetic. I can still wear a tank top in the gym and look as good as most anybody in there! The past few years I have played golf for 6 months in the summer, and worked out 3-4 times a week for 6 months in the winter.

So what's with this hardening of the arteries theory? Is it true? I'd hate to give up my workouts, or even change them to just light weights with high reps so that I don't put any undo pressure on my circulatory system and heart.

Any thoughts or knowledge of this?

 

[Skigazzi]

I'm replying from my phone in a mall shopping...so it'll be brief

But I also believe I've read creatine has the opposite effect, I take 3g post workout for strength and recovery, but I THINK that is just an added benefit...Google it, I may be crossing things up in my mind, but I think it's correct

Edit..
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21249385/

Edit again:
http://www.ergo-log.com/creatinearteries.html

 

[Rocket3015]

A few years ago egg were bad, now they are good, Diet soda is great to lose weight.....no it's not. The media and medical community changes like the wind. My point is do what makes you happy feels good and seams right to you. I don't believe that there is a "One Size Fits All" for anything. I am the same age as you, I look and feel better than a lot of folks I meet half my age, and am very happy with my life. Am I going to stop doing what I'm doing because of some report, Heck no. Just my 2 cents!

Enjoy Life

 

[braskibra]

I've been working out for around 40 years now (I'm 57), but have recently seen several references to weight lifting and hardening of the arteries. Supposedly it has something to do with how high one's blood pressure goes up during a max rep or set (I don't understand the whole thing).

I've always been perfectly healthy. I get a physical every year. Blood pressure is fine (120/80). Cholesterol is good if you go by the ratio and not overall "+200" measurement (LDL is 146; HDL is 64; triglyceride level is 139). No joint problems. I eat healthy 90% of the time. The only alcohol I drink would be Bud Lights, and usually in moderation (unless watching an extremely close Buckeye game!).

I have been working out on and off nearly all my life, and I think it has kept me young and energetic. I can still wear a tank top in the gym and look as good as most anybody in there! The past few years I have played golf for 6 months in the summer, and worked out 3-4 times a week for 6 months in the winter.

So what's with this hardening of the arteries theory? Is it true? I'd hate to give up my workouts, or even change them to just light weights with high reps so that I don't put any undo pressure on my circulatory system and heart.

Any thoughts or knowledge of this?

Potentially but as long as u aren't a lifetime bulker and maintain an adequate cardiovascular fitness level shud be fine

 

[DGA3]

I'm replying from my phone in a mall shopping...so it'll be brief

But I also believe I've read creatine has the opposite effect, I take 3g post workout for strength and recovery, but I THINK that is just an added benefit...Google it, I may be crossing things up in my mind, but I think it's correct

Edit..
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21249385/

Edit again:
http://www.ergo-log.com/creatinearteries.html

The second article said that 20 minutes of cardio after weight training reduces the hardening of the arteries. That might be something for me to try.

Plus, my post-workout protein drink has creatine in it, so that will also help.

PLUS, as Rocket said, docs and scientists are always discovering something new that used to be bad and is now good, so possibly there just isn't enough evidence out there yet to definitely say whether weight training is actually bad for an older person's arteries.

All I know is that I feel soooooooo good. :veryhappy:

 

[anabolix]

I think the benefits outweigh the risks. When some people think "hardening of the arteries", they think blockages and stuff. They are not one in the same, but some people have inadvertently used them as such. You can have hard arterial walls that are difficult or even essentially impossible to compress with blood pressure cuffs, but yet no blockages inside the arterial walls. I don't personally think this is a problem.

 

[kisaj]

Benefits far outweigh any little risk there. We can find something dangerous in anything we do, and we know that strength training helps us in so many ways. Lift on.

 

[DGA3]

I like the approval/support I'm getting here.

Thanks.

 

[kenpoengineer]

I'm 54 and read similar research about hardening of the arteries. Based on my reading this research is inconclusive due to the lack of enough lifters in their 50's to participate in the program. My recommendation is to keep lifting and eating healthy (I practice this as well!). For comparison, have you looked around at others in our generation that look old and are obese? It's amazing that they are not keeling over as they walk to get another donut! Rant mode off.

For your reading pleasure:
REFERENCES:

1) Hypertension,1999,33:1385-91, "Muscular Strength Training Is Associated With Low Arterial Compliance and High Pulse Pressure"

2) Experimental Physiol,2005,90(4):645-651

3) Experimental Physiol, 2007, 93(2):296-302

4) J Appl Physiol, 1985, Mar;58(3):785-90, "Arterial blood pressure response to heavy resistance exercise"

5) Int J Sports Med, 1996 Aug, 17(6):415-22, "Effect of strength training on blood pressure measured in various conditions in sedentary men"

6) Can J Appl Sport Sci, 1983 Sep, 8(3):134-9, "Cardiovascular responses to short-term olympic style weight-training in young men"

7) Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1988 Apr, 20(2):150-4, "Resistive training can reduce coronary risk factors without altering VO2max or percent body fat"

8) Experimental Physiology, Feb 1 2008, 93:296-302, "Resistance training in men is associated with increased arterial stiffness and blood pressure but does not adversely affect endothelial function as measured by arterial reactivity to the cold pressor test"

9) Journal of Applied Physiology, Nov 2007,103(5):1655-1661, "Combined aerobic and resistance training and vascular function: effect of aerobic exercise before and after resistance training"

 

[s_gautama]

You over 50's look d**n good. Props.

FWIW, I saw that running an excess of marathons hardens arteries as well. Google "running marathons arterial hardening." I can't post links yet.

My theory would be that *excess stress* leads to arterial hardening. Marathons impose a ridiculous level of stress on they body, so it makes sense they will harden arteries. I think most weight lifting regimens lead to the *right* amount of stress. My concern would be more with competition powerlifters and olympic lifters, but honestly, the power lifters I know are some of the healthiest human beings on the planet.

I've been trying to get my dad (66, excellent shape) to lift more to lose some of his belly fat. Loss of belly fat is going to more than outweigh any added "risks" from heavier lifting.

 

[scherbs]

You over 50's look d**n good. Props. FWIW, I saw that running an excess of marathons hardens arteries as well. Google "running marathons arterial hardening." I can't post links yet. My theory would be that *excess stress* leads to arterial hardening. Marathons impose a ridiculous level of stress on they body, so it makes sense they will harden arteries. I think most weight lifting regimens lead to the *right* amount of stress. My concern would be more with competition powerlifters and olympic lifters, but honestly, the power lifters I know are some of the healthiest human beings on the planet. I've been trying to get my dad (66, excellent shape) to lift more to lose some of his belly fat. Loss of belly fat is going to more than outweigh any added "risks" from heavier lifting.

You are on the right track by linking arterial damage from lifting and running. The common factor is the physical and oxidative stress caused by activity. What makes long, steady state running comparatively worse is the duration of the exercise in question (which is why even I, as a lifelong runner, have shifted increasing away from LSD-long, slow, distance)

 

[JTR12]

Doesn't sound right to me. There are so many benefits to weight training (bone density, metabolism/fat burning, etc, etc.) that I have to imagine they would outweigh any chance of hardened arteries.