Sweat
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about “sedentarism” and inactivity. The numbers of sedentary and inactive people in our society have increased dramatically in fewer than two generations. This trend predictably coincides with an increase in “lifestyle” illnesses, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. According to the CDC, one in three adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure. These Americans are at increased risk for heart disease, kidney disease and strokes. As we age, a number of changes occur in the body that can contribute to the onset of hypertension. Some changes are inevitable, while others are absolutely within our control. It’s interesting to me to that the curve of declining activity with age coincides with the curve of blood pressure elevation observed with age.
When hypertension is diagnosed, one of the primary remedies is a prescription for a diuretic medication. A diuretic alters your physiology in such a way that you eliminate body fluids in an accelerated manner–you pee more. Less fluid in the system equals less pressure in the plumbing; hypertension cured.
While researching an article on proper hydration for endurance sports, I learned that it is not uncommon for people to lose more than 1 litre of sweat per hour. A liter of fluid is quite a lot. That 60 minutes of sweat is probably roughly equivalent to the average 24-hour increase in urine production that is so annoying to the person who has just been prescribed a diuretic and is trying to get a full night’s sleep or take a long drive. Also interesting is that the 60 minutes required to produce that sweat coincides with the amount of daily activity that the CDC recommends for children and adolescents. More and more experts feel that there is no justification for modifying these recommendations downward for adults.
Preventing hypertension for many may boil down to a simple choice: sweat or urine. I have to believe that when you factor in the potential negative side-effects of the chemical trickery of a diuretic, along with the numerous known beneficial side-effects of exercise, the scale tips clearly in favor of exercise. But, you knew that’s where this blog was going didn’t you? Happy sweating!