Pharma Effects

Posts Tagged ‘Heart Rate’

Before you start wasting hours upon hours on those boring treadmills, stationary bikes, and elliptical machines, let’s examine if low-moderate intensity, long duration cardio exercise is really doing your body any good, or if it is mostly a waste of time. I hope you will concede upon finishing this article that there is a better way to get in great shape, and it doesn’t have to involve endless hours on boring cardio machines.

It is common to hear fitness professionals and medical doctors prescribe low to moderate intensity aerobic training (cardio) to people who are trying to prevent heart disease or lose weight. Most often, the recommendations constitute something along the lines of “perform 30-60 minutes of steady pace cardio 3-5 times per week maintaining your heart rate at a moderate level”. Before you just give in to this popular belief and become the “hamster on the wheel” doing endless hours of boring cardio, I’d like you to consider some recent scientific research that indicates that steady pace endurance cardio work may not be all it’s cracked up to be.

First, realize that our bodies are designed to perform physical activity in bursts of exertion followed by recovery, or stop-and-go movement instead of steady state movement. Recent research is suggesting that physical variability is one of the most important aspects to consider in your training. This tendency can be seen throughout nature as all animals demonstrate stop-and-go motion instead of steady state motion. In fact, humans are the only creatures in nature that attempt to do “endurance” type physical activities.

Most competitive sports (with the exception of endurance running or cycling) are also based on stop-and-go movement or short bursts of exertion followed by recovery. To examine an example of the different effects of endurance or steady state training versus stop-and-go training, consider the physiques of marathoners versus sprinters. Most sprinters carry a physique that is very lean, muscular, and powerful looking, while the typical dedicated marathoner is more often emaciated and sickly looking. Now which would you rather resemble?

Another factor to keep in mind regarding the benefits of physical variability is the internal effect of various forms of exercise on our body. Scientists have known that excessive steady state endurance exercise (different for everyone, but sometimes defined as greater than 60 minutes per session most days of the week) increases free radical production in the body, can degenerate joints, reduces immune function, causes muscle wasting, and can cause a pro-inflammatory response in the body that can potentially lead to chronic diseases. On the other hand, highly variable cyclic training has been linked to increased anti-oxidant production in the body and an anti-inflammatory response, a more efficient nitric oxide response (which can encourage a healthy cardiovascular system), and an increased metabolic rate response (which can assist with weight loss).

Furthermore, steady state endurance training only trains the heart at one specific heart rate range and doesn’t train it to respond to various every day stressors. On the other hand, highly variable cyclic training teaches the heart to respond to and recover from a variety of demands making it less likely to fail when you need it. Think about it this way — Exercise that trains your heart to rapidly increase and rapidly decrease will make your heart more capable of handling everyday stress. Stress can cause your blood pressure and heart rate to increase rapidly. Steady state jogging and other endurance training does not train your heart to be able to handle rapid changes in heart rate or blood pressure.

For example, lets say you jog trying to maintain the same pace for a good 45-minute run. As long as you didn’t encounter any big hills along the way, you probably maintained approximately the same heart rate the entire time – let’s say it was 135 beats/minute. Now, let’s contrast that with a much more effective workout of doing 20 minutes of alternating all-out wind sprints with walking for a minute or two in between sprints to recover. With this more effective workout, you’re rapidly changing your heart rate up and down on a much larger scale, forcing it to grow stronger to be able to handle varied demands. Your heart rate would probably alternate from 110-115 during the recovery walks all the way up to 160 bpm or more during the sprints. This doesn’t mean that sprints are the only way to take advantage of this style of training. Any style of training that incorporates highly variable intensity will give you these improved results.

The important aspect of variable cyclic training that makes it superior over steady state cardio is the recovery period in between bursts of exertion. That recovery period is crucially important for the body to elicit a healthy response to an exercise stimulus. Another benefit of variable cyclic training is that it is much more interesting and has lower drop-out rates than long boring steady state cardio programs.

To summarize, some of the potential benefits of variable cyclic training compared to steady state endurance training are as follows: improved cardiovascular health, increased anti-oxidant protection, improved immune function, reduced risk for joint wear and tear, reduced muscle wasting, increased residual metabolic rate following exercise, and an increased capacity for the heart to handle life’s every day stressors. There are many ways you can reap the benefits of stop-and-go or variable intensity physical training.

In addition to the previously mentioned wind sprints, most competitive sports such as football, basketball, racquetball, tennis, hockey, etc. are naturally comprised of highly variable stop-and-go motion. In addition, weight training naturally incorporates short bursts of exertion followed by recovery periods. High intensity interval training (varying between high and low intensity intervals on any piece of cardio equipment) is yet another training method that utilizes exertion and recovery periods. For example, an interval training session on the treadmill could look something like this:

Warm-up for 3-4 minutes at a fast walk or light jog;
Interval 1 – run at 8.0 mi/hr for 1 minute;
Interval 2 – walk at 4.0 mi/hr for 1.5 minutes;
Interval 3 – run at 10.0 mi/hr for 1 minute;
Interval 4 – walk at 4.0 mi/hr for 1.5 minutes;
Repeat those 4 intervals 4 times for a very intense 20-minute workout.

The take-away message from this article is to try to train your body at highly variable intensity rates for the majority of your workouts to get the most beneficial response in terms of heart health, fat loss, and a strong, lean body.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly five million Americans are living with heart failure and 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Heart failure is a serious condition that often is misunderstood. The questions below are intended to help clear up some misperceptions about this condition and its complications.

Q. What is heart failure?

A. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop. It is a serious condition in which the heart doesn’t pump blood through your body as well as it should.

Your heart still beats, but it pumps less nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. Because of this, heart failure can make you feel tired or weak. Heart failure also can cause swelling and fluid buildup in your legs, feet and even your lungs. Fluid buildup in your lungs often is referred to as “congestion,” which is why heart failure is sometimes called “congestive heart failure (CHF).” At times, patients may require hospitalization to treat a worsening, or an acute episode, of their heart failure symptoms.

Q. What are the symptoms of heart failure?

A. Some symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, frequent coughing, increased heart rate, heart palpitations (your heart may feel like it is racing), fatigue, weakness, swollen ankles and legs, loss of appetite and weight gain. Patients who experience acute episodes of their heart failure symptoms also may have extreme shortness of breath that leaves them gasping for air. Since they may have fluid buildup in their lungs, they may feel as though they are drowning.

Q. How are acute episodes of heart failure treated?

A. There are some common intravenous (IV) drugs that are commonly given to patients in hospitals to treat acute episodes of heart failure. They include diuretics, inotropes and IV vasodilators.

Please talk to your healthcare professional for more information.

This asana is also known as the Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose. This asana similar to its name stretching your legs and arms. It is one of those enduring asanas that helps your heart and other parts of your body. Stretching is always good for your body. It helps in creating the right balance for your body. Doing this asana is a step forward towards better health. It helps in creating unison between the mind and soul. By doing this pose your heart rate becomes normal. This asana is very useful for most parts of your body. It may be difficult at first. This hitch can be defeated by doing this asana regularly.

A stiff body becomes very flexible by doing this asana. It helps in improving your basic movements. There is fresh supply of blood to the brain which helps it to stimulate the brain for better functioning. The posture helps in toning your abdominal organs which helps to create a flexible body. A flexible body helps you do this posture in a much better manner. If done properly the benefits you reap will remain with you life long.

It is very important that you keep your legs straight while doing this asana. The inhaling and exhaling at the right time also creates a favorable impact on your body. It is very good for clearing your mind to get you out of depression. Many of the ailments related to stomach can be bid adieu. It helps in relieving constipation, indigestion and acidity. It compresses the pancreas which helps in maintaining your diabetes level. The asana helps in reverting your age as your face glows by doing this asana.

Sciatica is also prevented as it helps in building and strengthening of the nerves. The sciatic nerves are stretched helping you to recover faster. Your legs are stretched which helps them to get into the proper shape. The legs become much stronger after doing this asana. If you are having weight problems it can help in creating a proper waist line. A good massage is provided to your kidneys, digestive and reproductive system. It is very good for avoiding brain problems such as aneurysms and tumors. It is very good for your back too.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions before following any of the asanas from this article and the site. To avoid any problems while doing the asanas, it is advised that you consult a doctor and a yoga instructor. The responsibility lies solely with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Seizure is the most controversial side effect of Wellbutrin, and was responsible for its initial withdrawal from the market. The risk of seizure is highly dose-dependent: 0.1% at 100–300 mg of Wellbutrin, 0.4% at 300–450 mg, and 2% at 600 mg. For comparison, the incidence from the very first unprovoked seizure within the general population is 0.07–0.09%. The risk of seizure for other antidepressants is as follows: 0.1–0.6% for imipramine, based on dosage; 0–0.06% for amitriptyline, depending on dosage; 0.5% for clomipramine; 0.4% for maprotiline; and 0.2% for fluoxetine and fluvoxamine. Experiments on mice indicate that increased susceptibility to seizure is a basic side effect of chronically utilizing antidepressants that inhibit norepinephrine transporter, for example imipramine, desipramine and reboxetine. Clinical depression itself was reported to increase the occurrence of seizures two-to-sevenfold in comparison with the basic population; in this light, the above statistics could indicate that low to moderate doses of antidepressants, including Wellbutrin, may really have an anti-convulsive action.

The prescribing info notes that hypertension, sometimes severe, was observed in some sufferers, both with and without having pre-existing hypertension. The frequency of this adverse impact was under 1% and not significantly higher than that discovered with placebo. In a group of cardiac patients with depression, high doses of Wellbutrin (400–500 mg/day) caused a rise in supine blood pressure but had no impact on pulse rate. No statistically significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate occurred in sufferers with or without heart conditions at a lower dose of 300 mg/day. In a analyze of Wellbutrin for ADHD, a rise of systolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg and of heart rate by 7 beats per minute (both statistically significant) had been observed. A analyze of smokers hospitalized for heart disease found a 1.5-fold increase (close to being statistically substantial) in subsequent cardiovascular events within the Wellbutrin group, in comparison with the placebo group, but found no difference in blood pressure. Although the cardiovascular Wellbutrin side effects appear to be mild, it cannot be recommended for sufferers with heart disease, since the safety comparison with SSRIs (for example sertraline and fluoxetine, which might have a preventative impact after a myocardial infarction) is not in its favor.

In the UK, more than 7,600 reports of suspected undesirable reactions had been collected within the very first two years after bupropion’s approval by the MHRA as part of the Yellow Card Scheme, which monitored side effects. Approximately 540,000 individuals were treated with Wellbutrin for smoking cessation during that period. The MHRA received 60 reports of “suspected [emphasis MHRA's] adverse reactions to Zyban which had a fatal outcome”. The agency concluded that “in the majority of cases the individual’s underlying condition may offer an alternative explanation.” This is consistent with a large, 9,300-patient security analyze that showed that the mortality of smokers taking Wellbutrin isn’t greater than the natural mortality of smokers of exactly the same age.

Other isolated undesirable Wellbutrin side effects have been reported. Three cases of liver toxicity have been described, a very low incidence given the widespread use of the drug. A single case of clitoral priapism (clitorism) has been reported within the literature.

The common undesirable results associated with 12-hour sustained-release Wellbutrin (using the greatest difference from placebo) are dry mouth, nausea, insomnia, tremor, excessive sweating and tinnitus. Those that most often resulted in interruption of the treatment in the same trial were rash (2.4%) and nausea (0.8%).