An increasing number of researchers are questioning the safety of maximum-effort weightlifting. Doctors at the Yale University School of Medicine and the Stanford University Medical Center are concerned that extreme spikes in blood pressure resulting from strenuous activity can induce strokes and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).
An aneurysm is a bulging section in the wall of a blood vessel that has become stretched and thin. The bulge causes slowed blood flow and eventually blood clots. Exercises such as weightlifting cause increased blood pressure, and when an aneurysm is present, the additional pressure could lead to a potentially fatal rupture of the aorta.
“It’s the increase in the blood pressure, the pressure in the vessel, that causes the problem,” said Dr. John A. Lombardo, medical director of the OSU Sports Medicine Center. “Physical activity has been shown to be a problem; weightlifting would be a greater problem.”
Light and moderate weightlifting, such as an amount that can be lifted in four sets of 15, presents little concern. Recent studies have demonstrated that lifting can lower blood pressure, combat diabetes and strengthen bones.
However, heavy weight lifters put themselves at great risk during maximum-effort lifting because of the dangerously-high blood pressure levels they achieve.
Weightlifting does not directly contribute to the development of an aneurysm, but it and other activities that raise blood pressure improve the chances of health problems resulting from a bulge in the aorta.
“There must be some underlying problem that causes the aneurysms to begin with,” Lombardo said.
According to a study conducted by American Sports Data Inc., participation in weightlifting increased by 12 percent from 1998 to 2001. This statistic, coupled with the fact that 75 percent of the individuals diagnosed with AAA are not experiencing symptoms, creates a need for greater health awareness and physical screening.
California Fitness administers a physical activity readiness questionnaire to assess potential health risks. If a person indicates the presence of a heart condition or high blood pressure, then a doctor’s release is mandatory before commencing a workout routine, said Phil Hile, personal training manager at California Fitness.
Hile, the former cardiac rehabilitation director, said the health club does not take chances.
“We check blood pressure at the beginning of a workout, immediately cease exercise at the first warning signs – all the common-sense things,” Hile said.
The strength coach for the OSU football team, Allan Johnson, has never had to deal with an athlete suffering from an aneurysm and does not want that to change.
“Athletic trainers and medical staff, before we embark upon a training program, make sure we’re tuned into our athletes and are cautious,” Johnson said.
The doctors and trainers keep all of the coaches up to speed and provide background information for each player.
“We’re very tuned into the welfare and safety of the athlete in all aspects and what’s best for the athlete in the big picture,” Johnson said.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms rank as the 13thleading cause of death in the nation. AAA accounts for 32,000 deaths each year in the United States, making it more common than AIDS or brain cancer.
