How to strengthen the heart of bodybuilders? Is bodybuilding or large muscle mass bad for the heart?

Strength training has a great impact on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. However, the opinions of doctors differ in many respects. So, many argue that it is bodybuilding that has a negative effect on the functioning of the heart. Firstly, this is caused by heavy loads, secondly, myocardial hypertrophy without vascularization, and thirdly, constantly elevated arterial blood pressure leads to the development of heart failure.

At the same time, there is another opinion. Modern research proves that bodybuilding only has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart. But in any case, prevention and strengthening the heart are necessary for everyone, especially athletes. Today we will look at drugs that strengthen the heart of bodybuilders.

Let's start with the fact that not everyone can engage in bodybuilding. Among the athletes who are contraindicated power loads, include people with high blood pressure, heart failure, aneurysm, myocarditis, arrhythmia and tachycardia. In addition, if a person has coarctation of the aorta, mitral valve prolapse, or valve insufficiency with regurgitation, then strength training is also contraindicated.

However, there are cases when absolutely healthy bodybuilders begin to notice that their heart rate increases, interruptions in work and heart pain begin. This suggests that the first signs of pathological changes in the heart are observed. In such cases, you must immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis. Remember that any disease, especially heart pathology, is easier to prevent and prevent than to treat.

Drugs to strengthen the heart of bodybuilders.

• Riboxin. Thanks to this remedy, oxygen supply to the heart is enhanced. Riboxin is also necessary to improve blood supply, normalize heart rhythm and strengthen the myocardium. For athletes, this cardiovascular remedy will also be useful because it enhances protein synthesis in the muscles and has a positive effect on energy processes in the heart. Riboxin should be taken for 1 to 4 months, 3-4 times a day before meals;

• Trimetazidine is better known as Preductal, but this trademark expensive. This drug is necessary to protect the heart, normalize heart metabolism and improve heart nutrition at the cellular level. Take 35 mg for 15-30 days with meals 2 times a day;

• Asparkam is a drug that is based on a compound of magnesium and potassium. Quite popular among bodybuilders. Askarkam is used to reduce heart rate, eliminate seizures, and reduce the manifestation of arrhythmia. As an additional effect, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract improves. It is necessary to take a course of taking Asparkam 3 times a day after meals for 1 month;

• The most popular and broad class of adrenergic agonists are beta blockers. Bisoprolol and Metoprolol are recognized as the most effective. They help eliminate overload, lower blood pressure, and normalize the pulse so that it does not exceed the physiological norm. When or anabolic steroids the load on the heart increases, which causes myocardial hypertrophy. The use of beta blockers helps prevent this. Bodybuilders note that after regular use of beta blockers, the pulse normalizes and overall health improves. In addition, this remedy increases life expectancy, as it reduces the risk of the most common heart diseases. However, this drug is not recommended for use without a doctor’s recommendation, so be sure to consult a specialist, as there are contraindications.

There are also herbal preparations to strengthen the heart, which are prescribed to athletes for prevention and treatment.

Hawthorn reduces heart rate, increases coronary blood flow, and dilates blood vessels in the brain and heart. Cardiac strength also increases. Hawthorn extract is also useful for bodybuilders because it normalizes sleep, relieves nervous excitement and lowers blood cholesterol levels.

Rhodiola rosea is the most effective herbal preparation that improves heart function. This herbal adaptogen improves cardiac contractility. have a tonic effect on the entire body; regular intake of herbal tea from Rhodiola has a positive effect on the size of cellular mitochondria, which are necessary for oxygen respiration of cells.

Leuzea safflower- a drug necessary to normalize heart function, dilate blood vessels and increase the lumen of the bloodstream. In addition, it can be used to reduce your heart rate.

Vitamins and nutritional supplements to strengthen your heart.

For preventive purposes, you should always take vitamins, minerals, Omega-3 and L-carnitine. These nutritional supplements have a positive effect on the functioning of the heart muscle and help the body cope with pathological processes and illnesses.

For the heart to function properly, it is necessary to remove harmful cholesterol, waste and toxins. To do this, you need to take antioxidants and the required amount of vitamins, as well as magnesium, calcium, potassium and selenium. The most powerful antioxidant is vitamin C. Of course, special attention should be paid to the diet - you can read it on our website. However, vitamin complexes are also necessary, because bodybuilders have higher levels than usual.

In addition, for heart health, protecting the body from free radicals, prevention of atherosclerosis and reduction of blood viscosity is necessary. Another heart-healthy vitamin is vitamin A. It strengthens the walls of blood vessels and helps eliminate cholesterol. B vitamins (B3, B5, B6) prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Don't forget about minerals. For example, magnesium normalizes blood pressure and prevents blood clots from forming. Potassium is necessary for building cell walls, as well as increasing endurance and lowering blood pressure.

• Watch your diet. It should be varied. Try to avoid foods that contain bad cholesterol. Include fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, liver, dried fruits in your diet;
• Quit smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. This will help you avoid an increase in oxygen consumption by the heart and reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the body;
• Move as much as possible, play sports, swim. This is also necessary to get rid of excess weight;
• Drink 2-3 liters of fluid a day. It's best to use plain water. green tea, fruit drinks. This will help you avoid dehydration and blood clots;
• Forget about stress. Prolonged depression or that causes the heart to work harder, which increases the risk of a heart attack by 3 times.

Working out at the gym not only sharpens your figure, but also improves your heart health. Proper stress on the heart trains it, preventing rapid wear and tear. But illiterate training can lead to disruption of the cardiovascular system. How to exercise without harming your heart?

Warm-up before a gym session

One of the dangerous mistakes when playing sports is skipping a warm-up. Warm-up is needed to prepare the muscles, organs and body systems for heavy loads. And the heart is no exception.

Warm-up exercises raise your heart rate and increase blood flow.

Giving up too intensive training

To create optimal stress on your heart, focus on low- to moderate-intensity exercise. The desire to quickly lose weight or quickly build muscle can motivate a person to exercise with triple force. But constant unreasonable tension in the body will have a bad effect on blood vessels. The heart rate during physical activity should not exceed 70-80% of the maximum heart rate.

The maximum is calculated using the formula: 220 minus the person’s age in years. 70-80% of your maximum heart rate is your fat-burning heart rate.

Gradual increase in load

Increased load on cardiovascular system should be gradual. No need to do it right away a large number of repetitions of exercises. It is better to spend more time doing one exercise well than to do several quickly and incorrectly.

If your physical training If you are still weak, do not use weights during exercises. This will lead to an uncontrollable increase in heart rate and heart problems.

By gradually increasing the load, over time your heart will be able to handle more intense training. But even in this case, the exercises must be performed technically, not overexerting and breathing correctly.

Alternate loads

During exercise in the gym, the heart muscle pumps large volumes of blood to enrich muscle fibers oxygen. To prevent such work from harming heart health, training should alternate between exercises, working approaches and rest breaks.

Monitoring your heart health

The additional load on the heart that it receives during the heart increases the frequency of contractions and the volume of blood pumped by the heart. Regular and properly distributed loads train the organ, and as a result, the heart wears out more slowly. But like any muscle, the heart needs time to adapt and rest. The desire to quickly get results through intense training can be bad for your heart health. To make sure your heart is healthy, don't be afraid to visit your doctor.

To prevent cardiovascular diseases, it is enough to take control measurements blood pressure, cardiogram, periodically take a blood test to check hemoglobin and hormone levels. Your doctor will tell you how often to do this.

To stay on top of your heart's warning signs, monitor how you feel after your gym session.

Elena Kukuevitskaya

The heart is the most important organ that ensures blood circulation in the human body. Violation of the activity of this organ can lead to fatal consequences.

Bodybuilding, associated with extreme physical activity, contributes to rapid wear and tear of the heart muscle, which brings the athlete closer to the negative threshold associated with deteriorating health. Failure to take cardiovascular problems seriously can lead to the development of diseases that can result in disability.

The correct training process and the necessary medical preventive procedures can reduce all negative consequences to zero.

Bodybuilding and the heart are inextricably linked, the more muscle mass a person and the activity of his lifestyle, the more effort the circulatory organ requires to circulate blood in the body. Strength training can cause myocardial hypertrophy due to excessive physical activity. Moreover, the use of steroids, pharmacological drugs and food additives may also negatively affect the functioning of the heart.

The first signs of possible pathological changes in the cardiovascular system are:

• extrasystoles;
• pain in the heart area;
• increased heart rate.

If such symptoms appear, the athlete must urgently consult a doctor and undergo the necessary medical procedures that can determine the presence of pathologies.

Ignoring such “calls” can lead to myocardial infarction and more serious consequences.

Cardiac muscle training

To prevent heart problems, it is necessary to adhere to a number of preventive measures. The athlete needs to monitor his heart rate, which during training should be within 120-140 beats per minute. Next, to prevent cardiac failure, you need to perform exercises breathing exercises and pay attention aerobic training, which include walking, running, cycling, active games.

Also, for the normal functioning of the heart, it is necessary to follow a diet, daily routine and dress according to the time of year, in general, avoid overwork, excessive fasting and cooling, as well as overheating, circulatory disorders as a result of pinching of blood vessels by elements of clothing and similar stressful situations. Another way to keep your heart in excellent condition is to avoid using steroids and strong medicines without a doctor's prescription, use balanced vitamin and mineral complexes.

In pharmacology, there are a number of specialized medications that allow you to avoid the negative consequences caused by power loads. In addition to vitamins, such medicines include:

For greater effectiveness of the drugs, a combined course of taking the drugs listed above is required, designed for 1-2 months, with three repetitions per year.

Some diseases and disorders of the cardiovascular system are incompatible with bodybuilding, since high loads can not only aggravate them unnecessarily, but also lead to the death of the athlete.

Among these restrictions it is worth noting:

• myocarditis;
• arrhythmia;
• tachycardia;
• aneurysms;
• heart failure;
• coarctation of the aorta;
• valve insufficiency;
• high blood pressure;
• mitral valve prolapse.

Despite the fact that not all of the contraindications listed above are categorically inadmissible for bodybuilding, in case of any heart disease or suspicion of such, it is necessary to undergo medical procedures - ECG, ECHO-CG, cholesterol level analysis. Based on the research results and in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations, it will be possible to come to a decision to continue the training process or abandon it.

The effect of steroids on the athlete's heart

During training, a bodybuilder using steroid drugs has a traumatic effect on the heart. Negative consequences for the organ develop in four directions at once, among which the following side effects stand out:

• increased blood clotting and, as a result, the development of blood clots and heart attack;
• the occurrence of spasms of the coronary artery, which contribute to blocking blood access to the heart;
• reduction of high-density lipoproteins, which prevent the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels;
• direct damage to the heart muscle.

For athletes who decide to use steroids for training process, it is imperative to undergo preventive measures and post-course therapy, which will reduce the risk of developing complex heart diseases.

Video: How to exercise after a heart attack or with a bad heart

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Detailed story about heart training from Denis Borisov

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Doctors sang the benefits of cardio training for the heart. Strength training, in their opinion, is almost useless in this regard. Moreover, doctors recommend that people with heart disease not lift heavy objects. If this recommendation is true, then the fitness craze could cause irreparable harm to the health of thousands of people. In fact, at first heart disease does not manifest itself in any way. Doctors talk about the latent, hidden phase of the disease. But what if severity aggravates the disease and transfers it to the “estric form”? In addition, many are genetically predisposed to heart disease. Such diseases may not manifest themselves if a provoking factor does not interfere with a person’s life. For example, straining during strength training.

To answer all these difficult questions, American scientists examined 44,000 men. Scientists have found that those men who run for an hour or more per week have a 42% lower risk of coronary heart disease, and among men who engage only in strength training, it is reduced by 23%. Along the way, another important advantage was discovered strength training. It accelerated metabolism at rest, which significantly reduced cholesterol levels in the body. In another study, scientists reliably proved that strength training lowers blood pressure. After 2 months of strength training in healthy young men, the average daily blood pressure decreased from 130/69 to 121/61. A real sensation was the recognition of strength training as a treatment for heart failure.

Let us remember that this disease is accompanied by a decrease in the force of contraction of the heart muscle. The blood flow becomes so weak that the patient is at risk of loss of consciousness and death. Strength exercises“impose” on the heart a rhythm of powerful and deep contractions.
It must be noted that in all cases we are talking about moderate power loads. Extreme strength training is bad for the heart.

Anger and heart disease
According to the results of studies by American scientists, nervous irritation is more dangerous for the heart than smoking, drinking and overweight. Increased nervousness has always been associated with heart disease, but scientists believed that there was no direct connection between the two. It's just that those who live in poverty are more nervous. They suffer more from heart disease because they eat poorly and sleep poorly. And these are the main factors that provoke heart disease.
Recent studies have shown that increased irritability directly causes heart disease. Scientists are at a loss about the internal mechanism of this connection. In any case, it is clear that in the interests of health you should avoid anything that makes you nervous and worried.