Managing your Blood Pressure

[MrAust92]

As a BBer fast approaching the dreaded "big four-oh" I have developed a keen interest in preventative health and making sure I can maintain this mortal coil well into old age. One of the things most overlooked by BBers is blood pressure (BP). I would hazard a guess that 90% of the AAS-users on this board simply dont know what their BP is because it hasnt been checked in months (or even years).

I am writing this thread as I am currently at a reasonably heavy off season b/weight (125 kg) and everytime I get up over 120 kg I have to be careful as the extra weight bothers my BP. I thought it would be good to share my thoughts and insights on this topic, maybe someone will even listen to me and stay healthier as a result.

What is healthy BP? - the medical establishment will tell you 120/80 is "normal" BP. Athletes, particularly strength athletes often have slightly higher BP as they have bigger stronger hearts that are subject to greater stresses than non-trained individuals. Long term use of AAS/peptides etc can also enlarge the heart which can have some impact. I have discussed this at length with my Dr and he doesnt get too concerned if my systolic (top number) is under 160, he does however prefer to see the dyostolic (bottom number) 80 or lower. I like to keep the bottom number in the 60's if I can as this is the measure of how much the heart relaxes between beats and its the one Drs worry most about.

What causes BP to rise? - A myriad of lifestyle factors (diet, exercise, genetics, smoking, stress levels, etc etc). The usual cause in BBers is rapid weight gain and its usually the fluid retention associated with the drug use rather than the drugs per se. The bad news is that fluid retention assists in muscle gain, the good news is that you can manage your BP without ruining your gains.

Why bother? - High BP (hypertension) is no trivial matter. It is a strong contributor to cardiac disease and high BP over a long period of time subjects your kidneys to unnatural stress which can lead to kidney problems/failures. If you think kidney problems are not that special, go and talk to Juzzy, Im sure he will smack you around your dumb-ass head. If your BP gets up around 160/95 you should make an appt with your Dr. If it gets near 180/110 get urgent medical attention, you are a stroke waiting to happen.

How do I know my BP? - Simple, buy a half decent BP monitor and check yourself regularly. I have an Omron (recommended brand) that cost me $170 and it has a large cuff that will fit a BBers arm. And yes I know we all have 21 inch arms and hence the cuff doesnt fit blah blah blah.... but the cuff seems to fit my 19 inch pipes OK (sorry I am not in the 21 inch club boys.........)

How do I measure? - I suggest doing it 1st thing when you wake up and are nice and relaxed, also, keep your arm at "heart height" so either rest it on the table or lie down as you will get a more accurate reading. I usually take 3 readings as my 1st one is always a bit higher and then (as I relax) it drops down a bit.

Word of warning - anxiety will bump your BP up alot. I had my BP tested recently at the hospital after my surgeon had described the process he intended to use to cut out some skin cancers (one which looked nasty) and my BP was 160/95. Naturally I shit my pants and when I got home I tried to relax and then took the reading myself and it was 136/67 which is fine for me.

So what can I do? - If its really high (over 160/95) you need to get medical advice, there are lots of things you can do to manage it though, the main ones for me are:
- Drink lots of water (5 litres + ED) - you should be doing this anyway
- Do cardio -20-30 minutes 4-5 days per week will do it (you should also be doing this anyway if you value your ticker)
- Keep salty shitty foods to a minimum.
- Keep use of of aromatising androgens to a minimum (OK, this aint always easy)
- If you need to use androgens, use an anti-e to keep water retention down.
- Natural supps - hawthorn berries capsules can lower BP 10-20 points but use them in conjunction with the other measures above. There are a number of natural BP formulas around (BB.com have a few) and these are helpful, I use one for added protection.
- Rx BP meds - your Dr can prescribe meds for you, these are usually a BP med like Catapres or a diuretic. I dont know about you but I would rather not take extra meds or a daily dose of diuretics (I HATE diuretics as they make me feel like shit) if I can manage it "naturally" (oxymoron I know)

I am a strong believer that you can use AAS, achieve your BBing goals and live to a ripe old age if you are smart and sensible. BP is known as the "silent killer" as people who die from BP-related ilnesses usually dont know they had the condition as often there are no physical symptoms whatsoever.

On ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure my friends.

Stay safe

MA92

[sizematters270]

i totally agree with mr aust on this issue,as i suffer from high bp & have to take meds to keep it in line.
im only a couple of yrs younger then mr aust & i have thought the same things about the health issues as we get older,especially more so when i have had a mate who is the same age as me quite big aswell & he has had numerous health issues lately it certainly makes you wake up & think a bit.

mr aust how is your bp so dyostolic low 136/67 fuck the lowest mine ever was is 120/80 & it flucuates between that & 165/100...

guys they say high bp is the silent killer as it kreeps up on you even thou you think you are fine.
Do yourself a big favour & get this checked regularly along with the other things mr aust has mentioned in the sticky at the top,trust me its better to be safe then sorry on these matters.

[MrAust92]

SM270

Mate, 136/67 is a good reading for me, BP fluctuates throughout the day and I have measured it at 152/90 (which is too high) when I am under stress.

The important thing is to adopt the preventative measures suggested above (or a combination of them) and keep tabs on it, ignorance is NOT bliss where BP is concerned.

Just as an aside, a bloke I know (who looks very similar to me but is not me)had to got to hospital to get a laceration stiched up a few years back, he was 3 weeks out from a contest and on a pretty funky pre-contest stack including test, tren, winny, T3, ECA and clen and when the nurse gets out the BP machine he is thinking "Oh fuck, this is going to be good LOL". The result..........132/62, alomst perfect for a reasonably big guy (he was 112 kg at the time). The reason......precontest diet, cardio and lots of water.

It aint magic people, just solid common sense.

MA92

[Mr Oz]

great stuff here,


i think i also read that niacin was a supp that should be taken to control BP?? is that correct or am i thinking of something else?

[Paulus]

Mr Oz - yes - niacin is vitamin B3 - it expands the blood vessels. But I believe there is the possibility of it raising your blood sugar and also possibly causing liver damage.

[Paulus]

Great post MA92.

I've got an Omron BP monitor at home too. Definitely a case of an "ounce of prevention.."

Because there are rarely any symptoms for high blood pressure, I think maybe some people choose not to think about it.

[Got Bodyripped]

Originally Posted by Mr Oz

great stuff here,


i think i also read that niacin was a supp that should be taken to control BP?? is that correct or am i thinking of something else?

It lowers cholesterol

[Soccer]

Good post. I also have my own BP Monitor an Omron M5.

My Current BP as I type is 127/80 and a pulse of 65. Currently wieghing in at 111kg and using supps.

[Supermatt]

Great post, thanks MA92

[zock]

I have just had my blood pressure checked and im at185 over something. I not sure but i thin the CLENbuterol may be the factor as i am geting ready for a comp.

[bbz]

Excellent post MrAust.

Too often people discover too late of an existing blood pressure issues.

Get it checked. And while your there organize to get your prostate checked too!

BBZ

[street]

Thank you for the article .It is very helpful.

[drob29]

great post. THANKS

[hulk6767]

this should also be a sticky in the steroids forum

[sanctum2k]

Magnesium

[mr Pineapple]

Originally Posted by MrAust92

- Drink lots of water (5 litres + ED) - you should be doing this anyway

Excuse the ignorance but could you please explain how the consumption of water lowers BP , even a link would be appreciated!

[sanctum2k]

I'll take a stab.

Elevated BP can be caused by blood thickness, the thicker the blood, the more presure needed to pump it. Dehydration leads to thicker blood leads to higher BP?

[ryscaff]

hi i've just had my bp taken recently and it's 137/ 46!! ? is this right? i've had it tested a few times all with similar results. i feel fine train hard and i'm 27 , so why the extremes?