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ew research suggests that high intensity, sports based
exercise has benefits for cardiovascular health, but continual heavy lifting at
work may have a negative impact.
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research shows how strenuous physical activity affects artery health.
Health experts have consistently promoted the benefits of
physical activity, particularly for preventing cardiovascular disease, the
leading cause of premature fatalities worldwide.
A study in Hypertension has now
begun to look at the effect of different types of exercise on a person's
cardiovascular health.
The research finds that some physical activity might
actually be detrimental to a person's health.
4 different
types of physical activity
Jean-Philippe Empana of Inserm/Université de Paris, in
France, working with colleagues from Australia, led the research.
The authors analyzed data from the 10-year Paris Prospective
Study III, which is tracking the health of 10,000 people from 50 to 75 years of
age.
As part of that study, participants filled out
questionnaires in which physical activity was in four different categories:
- high intensity sports
activities
- exertion from job-related
tasks, such as lifting and moving heavy objects
- low impact exercise from
leisure activities, such as walking with friends, gardening, etc
- total physical activity
"Our idea was to look at whether all types of physical
activity are beneficial, or whether, under some circumstances, physical
activity can be harmful," says Empana.
"We wanted, in particular, to explore the consequences
of physical activity at work, especially strenuous physical activity, such as
routinely carrying heavy loads, which could have a negative impact."
To track the cardiovascular health of the participants, the
researchers examined their arteries, using ultrasound imaging of the carotid
arteries in their necks.
Specifically, they measured the sensitivity of the
baroreflex mechanism; the baroreflex mechanoreceptors in the carotid and aorta
blood vessels control the body's rapid response to — and accommodation of —
changes in blood pressure.
A compromised baroreflex system increases the likelihood of
serious outcomes, including cardiac arrest.
Two aspects of the baroreflex system were measured:
- Mechanical baroreflex, as
reflected by arterial stiffness. Problems with this aspect of the system
are often part of age-related cardiovascular problems.
- Neural baroreflex, or the
neural impulses that the mechanoreceptors transmit on the artery
wall." Neural baroreflex insufficiencies often lead to heart rhythm
problems and cardiac arrest.
The major
takeaways
Empana and his colleagues saw two significant trends from
their results.
First, sports based physical activity strengthens the neural
baroreflex, thus reducing the chances of cardiac issues — as health experts
have long been suggesting.
On the other hand, they found that
strenuous exertion at work has a negative effect on both arterial stiffness —
the mechanical baroreflex — and the neural baroreflex, producing a higher risk
for heart rhythm problems.
The authors found no particular connection between leisure
activity or total activity and either mechanical or neural baroreflex.
"Our findings," says Empana, "represent a
valuable avenue of research for improving our understanding of the associations
between physical activity and cardiovascular disease. They do not suggest that
movement at work is harmful for health; instead, they suggest that chronic,
strenuous activity (such as lifting heavy loads) at work may be."
Next up for the researchers are attempts to see if these
results are consistent across other groups of people.
"This study has major public health implications for
physical activity at work," Empana concludes. "We now want to expand
our analysis to further explore the interactions between physical activity and
the health status of people in the workplace."
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