Can too much exercise cause a stroke? HIIT

nas061

"BBC presenter Andrew Marr blames his recent stroke on overworking and an overly vigorous exercise session on a rowing machine. The 53-year-old said he had, to his detriment, believed the newspapers... that we must take very, very intensive exercise in short bursts for good health.".............

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22150091

Azdak

By definition, exercise training puts a load on the body's systems. If there are any underlying health issues, then, yes, exercise can provoke symptoms or seriously medical events--as can climbing stairs, lifting boxes, shoveling snow, or any other strenuous activity.

While regular exercise training provides numerous long-term health benefits, it is also a fact that DURING exercise, one's risk is elevated.

That is why any time you see exercise or workout advice written in public, it is usually accompanied by the disclaimer "seek advice from a physician before starting a vigorous exercise program". Professional organizations, such as the American College of Sports Medicine, have detailing risk-stratification guideline that professionals should use before prescribing exercise.

Given the current infatuation with HIIT-style exercise, it is expected that we will see an increase in incidents of this type as more people feel compelled to seek the newest "magic bullet". We have seen similar increases as more people have gotten caught up in the increased popularity of marathon running.

These increases in medical incidents do not, IMO, argue against doing HIIT, or lifting heavy, or running marathons. Again, doing high-intensity exercise will NOT injure a healthy heart and is highly unlikely to cause a stroke in a healthy individual.

In most of these cases, there was an existing condition or predisposition to this type of event that was exposed or provoked by the heavier exercise. The tricky part is knowing whether or not those conditions exist in an individual. That is why you have exercise guidelines and risk-stratification guidelines. It's also why you have standards and codes of conduct that professionals should follow. And each individual is responsible for taking care of themselves and using their own common sense when engaging in any type of exercise. But new things tend to be presented with a lot of hype that tends to gloss over the risk part--I'm not really blaming the "media"--nobody wants to read a boring, balanced medical discussion--it's just a fact of life.

BerryH

Andrew Marr is a very fit 53 year old who has exercised regularly for years. He had no reason to consult a professional before upping his game, and had even suffered two minor strokes which he didn't even notice.

He says: "I went onto a rowing machine and gave it everything I had, and had a very strange feeling afterwards and then a blinding headache and flashes of light. I served up a family meal, went to bed, and woke up the next morning lying on the floor unable to move. What I had done, I had torn the carotid artery which takes blood into the brain, and had a stroke overnight."

His condition was very rare, and I doubt any exercise professional or physician would have picked up anything that would have suggested he take it easy. And exercise isn't the sole trigger if you have an arterial weakness - you can cause a stroke just by washing your hair over a sink, for example.

However, he had a heavy workload and stressful personal life (he'd been caught having an affair), and I expect he picked up on getting maximum exercise in minimum time rather than choosing what would best balance his life at that particular time.

It's worth highlighting this part of the article as it offers direct advice:

The Stroke Association also advise caution. They say it is important to find a balance between how hard the exercise is, how long you exercise for and how often you exercise.

You will benefit more from doing regular gentle exercise for a good length of time, than exercising very vigorously for a short length of time or infrequently, they say.

Nikki Hill, director of communications, said: "Regular exercise is an important factor in stroke prevention and recovery.

"We have heard anecdotally that some activities like vigorous exercise can sometimes cause blood vessels to burst.

"We need more research on the underlying factors that might make that happen. We do know that high blood pressure itself is the single biggest cause of stroke, until more research is done on specific triggers we'd suggest getting your blood pressure checked and taking steps to keep it under control, exercise can help with that."

There can be warning signs that a stroke is likely.

Andrew Marr says he had two minor strokes in the year before his major one, but had not noticed.

Many strokes are preceded by mini ones called transient ischaemic attacks or TIAs.

These may be silent or cause only a few of the symptoms that come with a full-blown stroke - such as face or arm weakness and speech problems - and last just a few minutes, making them easy to miss.

A TIA is a sign that part of your brain is not getting enough blood and you are at risk of having a stroke in the future.

Each year about 46,000 people in the UK have their first TIA.

There is no way of telling whether you are having a TIA or a stroke when the symptoms first start. If you think you or someone you know is having a TIA, it is a medical emergency so call 999.

lithezebra

Darn it. I enjoy strenuous exercise, and especially HIIT, as well as gentle exercise for a good length of time. Some of my hikes are HIIT, by virtue of living in a mountainous area.

If I have a blinding headache and see unexplained flashes of light, I'm calling 911 before I go to bed. I hope that Mr. Marr makes a full recovery.