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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
VSD and Effects of Weight Lifting - Follow up
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
VSD and Effects of Weight Lifting - Follow up
by Ashley__0__0, Jun 09, 1999 12:00AM
Posted by Ashley on June 09, 1999 at 12:40:20
First off, thank you very much for answering my question about VSd and weight lifting the other day.
I have a follow up statement and question.
The reasons for me weight lifting are the following: to help remain healthy, gain strength in muscles, and to keep a good pleasing appearance.
Since reading about VSD and weight lifting on the internet over the past couple of weeks, I would have to say that my morale about my health has decreased. I would think that weight lifting maybe light to moderate weights would help strengthen the cardiac muscle along with skeletal muscles.
What kinds of side effects or damage to the cardiac muscle or lungs can occur due to heavy weight lifting or long periods of cardio exercise?
Thanks again!
Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on June 09, 1999 at 13:54:29
Dear Ashley
Actually weight-lifting, in particular heavy weight-lifting, is not good exercise at all. Aerobic exercise, in which the heart rate is raised for a period of time, is the best exercise for the heart.
The concern with a VSD, or any sort of serious structural heart disease, is that the straining involved with lifting heavy weights increases blood pressure and increases the amount of blood that is shunted across the VSD; this can lead to loss of consciousness. It is not so much a concern over long-term damage as it is concern over immediate complications. An exercise regimen, including one involving light weight lifting is probably OK as long as it does not lead to excessive degrees of exertion.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
