Question about blood pressure

GSXR_Chris · 08-08-2009, 05:27 PM

I'm 26 years old and I am an amateur bodybuilder. I am 5'8, 205lbs, and currently 8% bodyfat. I have a very structured workout routine that incorporates both weight training and cardio 6 days per week. I eat VERY healthy and VERY lean. I almost never eat junk food or sweets. I have no history of health problems at all.

The other day I went to Walgreens and used one of those blood pressure machine in the store where you put your arm in the cuff. Well I barely managed to fit my arm in the cuff since it said it was made for the average adult arm which is 13 inches (my arms are 17 inches).

Anyhow my blood pressure came out to be 151 over 90. I measured it a second time to double check and it came out 145 over 85. Needless to say I was SHOCKED because I have no idea on earth how my blood pressure is this high.

I want to stress the fact that I am one of the few bodybuilders who DOES NOT use steroids or any sort of supplements (except protein) whatsoever. This is the honest truth.

My questions are as follows...

1) I have here is could the blood pressure reading have been flawed at all due to the fact that my arm barely fit in the arm cuff in the first place?

2) I have been told by some people that being a bodybuilder my blood pressure is supposed to be higher. Is there any truth to this or is that just BS?

bigboy18 · 08-08-2009, 05:31 PM

Get your BP done by using an actual strap that can fit your arm. Go to your family physician for this.. they have different sizes to fit your arm.

Anyways, those pharamacy BP machines only work if the arm fits correctly. otherwise the reading will be faulty and cause an error. I've never liked using those anways..

Anyways, to answer #2..this is not generally true.

This is coming from a soon-to-be LPN nurse lol... hope this helped a bit

Edit: Unless you have some sort of tachycardia..there shouldn't be a reason as to why your reading was that high...other than the fact that your arm wasn't properly fitted into the machine cuff

GSXR_Chris · 08-08-2009, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigboy18

Get your BP done by using an actual strap that can fit your arm. Go to your family physician for this.. they have different sizes to fit your arm.

Anyways, those pharamacy BP machines only work if the arm fits correctly. otherwise the reading will be faulty and cause an error. I've never liked using those anways..

Anyways, to answer #2..this is not generally true.

This is coming from a soon-to-be LPN nurse lol... hope this helped a bit

Edit: Unless you have some sort of tachycardia..there shouldn't be a reason as to why your reading was that high...other than the fact that your arm wasn't properly fitted into the machine cuff

Thanks for the info. I do need to go to the doctor because I need to figure out what is going on and get it accurately tested. I see no reason that my blood pressure should be this high at all (if those numbers are indeed even remotely accurate) because I do not do anything at all that would warrant high blood pressure.

The last thing I want to do is die of a heart attack or something at 26.

bigboy18 · 08-08-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSXR_Chris

Thanks for the info. I do need to go to the doctor because I need to figure out what is going on and get it accurately tested. I see no reason that my blood pressure should be this high at all (if those numbers are indeed even remotely accurate) because I do not do anything at all that would warrant high blood pressure.

The last thing I want to do is die of a heart attack or something at 26.

Yeah brah.. get that sh it checked out. In fact if you're ever doing any exercises, you should always consult your doctor and make sure everything is okay. (Most people don't do this since it sounds dumb..but you never know if you'll end up dead because you didn't know you had some sort of pre-existing condition)

I believe there was a kid who posted on the misc who recently died because of a heart attack while working out? (not sure but he was young)

GSXR_Chris · 08-08-2009, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigboy18

Yeah brah.. get that sh it checked out. In fact if you're ever doing any exercises, you should always consult your doctor and make sure everything is okay. (Most people don't do this since it sounds dumb..but you never know if you'll end up dead because you didn't know you had some sort of pre-existing condition)

I believe there was a kid who posted on the misc who recently died because of a heart attack while working out? (not sure but he was young)

Well the odd thing is that 3 or 4 years ago I checked my blood pressure on one of those machines at the store and it was 120 over 80 which was normal. Now 4 years later it's reading out so high at 151 over 90. I hadn't thought to go into the doctor because the last time I was at the doctor (this was obviously years ago), I was completely healthy.

Needless to say I'm going to go to a doctor now for sure because I want to figure out what's going on as well as get my blood pressure accurately checked.

bigboy18 · 08-08-2009, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSXR_Chris

Well the odd thing is that 3 or 4 years ago I checked my blood pressure on one of those machines at the store and it was 120 over 80 which was normal. Now 4 years later it's reading out so high at 151 over 90. I hadn't thought to go into the doctor because the last time I was at the doctor (this was obviously years ago), I was completely healthy.

Needless to say I'm going to go to a doctor now for sure because I want to figure out what's going on as well as get my blood pressure accurately checked.

4 years ago was a long time..did you have 17inch arms back then? lol

anyways...dont stress over it..Im sure its just the machine. Post back when you go to your physician.

dantheman999 · 08-08-2009, 05:49 PM

I get readings all over the map when i use those blood pressure machines (usually high like yours). My arm barely fits in the sleeve as well. If you read the warning thing on it, the max arm diameter is supposed to be like 15" or something.

Any time i have gone to a normal doc and get blood pressure checked they dont say anything.

GSXR_Chris · 08-08-2009, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigboy18

4 years ago was a long time..did you have 17inch arms back then? lol

anyways...dont stress over it..Im sure its just the machine. Post back when you go to your physician.

No, I certainly did not!

I will post back when I go to the doctors for sure.

GSXR_Chris · 08-08-2009, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dantheman999

I get readings all over the map when i use those blood pressure machines (usually high like yours). My arm barely fits in the sleeve as well. If you read the warning thing on it, the max arm diameter is supposed to be like 15" or something.

Any time i have gone to a normal doc and get blood pressure checked they dont say anything.

That makes me feel better. I mean I literally have to shove my arm in those things hardcore. The one I was using says it's made for an average adult which has a 13 inch arm.

KingOfChaos · 08-08-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSXR_Chris

I'm 26 years old and I am an amateur bodybuilder. I am 5'8, 205lbs, and currently 8% bodyfat. I have a very structured workout routine that incorporates both weight training and cardio 6 days per week. I eat VERY healthy and VERY lean. I almost never eat junk food or sweets. I have no history of health problems at all.

The other day I went to Walgreens and used one of those blood pressure machine in the store where you put your arm in the cuff. Well I barely managed to fit my arm in the cuff since it said it was made for the average adult arm which is 13 inches (my arms are 17 inches).

Anyhow my blood pressure came out to be 151 over 90. I measured it a second time to double check and it came out 145 over 85. Needless to say I was SHOCKED because I have no idea on earth how my blood pressure is this high.

I want to stress the fact that I am one of the few bodybuilders who DOES NOT use steroids or any sort of supplements (except protein) whatsoever. This is the honest truth.

My questions are as follows...

1) I have here is could the blood pressure reading have been flawed at all due to the fact that my arm barely fit in the arm cuff in the first place?

2) I have been told by some people that being a bodybuilder my blood pressure is supposed to be higher. Is there any truth to this or is that just BS?

Either buy your own BP machine like I did or go to the doctor.