haveatake

So, I was practicing today at my inlaw's house, and while resting, I decided to take my blood pressure with thier automatic machine. The results: 132/.78 and my pulse was 72 BPM. Then I got the idea to take my blood pressure while playing a high C. 112/82 pulse 122 BPM. I am not surprised that my pulse went up, but I am very surprised that the systolic number went down and the diastolic number went up only slightly. Has anybody else tried this while playing? I would be interested to see if others have similar results.

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rowuk

3 years ago 215 to 155. 25 pounds less and a couple of pills later 128 to 76 when playing heavy duty stuff.

It sure is useful to have a picture of what your body is doing!

I noticed the problem during the second movement of the Hummel concerto with an orchestra here. I started to shake and only my breathing saved the show. My wife was the only one to notice and my doc the next day.

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

s.coomer

I am a blood pressure patient and take two different medications each day to keep it under control. However, when I practice and immediately take my pressure it is always down.

Harald

Hi: The reduced systolic and increased diastolic BP is indicative for reduced stroke volume (the volume of blood pumped out of the heart during one heart beat). When playing a high C, you increase the pressure in the thoracic cavity (at least slightly). This somewhat limits blood flow into the heart and, therefore, reduces stroke volume. Also, the increase in heart rate (122 bpm) means that there is less filling time for the heart. Again, less blood into the heart, less blood out of the heart (stroke volume). A reduction in stroke volume together with an increase in heart rate causes a reduction in systolic blood pressure and an increase in diastolic blood pressure.

But 112/82 while playing a high C is a pretty good (healthy) blood pressure. I don't think you need to worry. 132/78 is in the range of borderline hypertension. If you are overweight, weight loss is the best cure (2 mmHg per kg body weight loss).

Regards,

Harald

oohhh yeah

So is this good or bad?

Harald

Is it good or bad?

The blood pressure and heart rate values that the original poster listed during playing a high C are definitely not alarming.

I think trumpet playing is some form of exercise. And as with every form of exercise, if done in moderation and with the correct technique (not too much pressure etc.) it can improve your health and prevent diseases.

For me, trumpet playing also seems to have positive psychological effects. After a long day of work (I am not a musician by profession), trumpet playing helps me to calm down and relax.

haveatake

A short background on the test subject (me). I am 46 years old and I have been playing the trumpet (not professionally) on and off for 36 years. I am moderatly overweight (about 20 lbs) and I don't work out as much as I should, although that was one of my New years resolutions. I haven't had problems with my blood pressure or my health in general for that matter.
My inlaws are out of town, which is why I was practicing at thier house (my wife works from home and had a few calls to make). While I was resting I noticed the blood pressure machine and was curious what mine was, as I haven't taken it in a while.
When I took first took it, I was relaxed with no stress. On a whim, I wondered what it would be while I played a soft high C. I started the machine and started playing for about 30 seconds until the machine gave a result.
I have also noticed that, although my heartrate increases when I'm playing, it also recovers very quickly to a normal rate after I stop.
YMMV

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lovevixen555

I would not call playing an instrument an intnese form of exercise. The guy is borderline hypertensive but if he act's now and start's exercise program of even only 15 minutes every day he could reverse this trend. If he exercised 30 minutes a day and modified his diet just enough to lose about 10lbs he could completly reverse this trend and actualy benifit in a huge way in terms of qulity of life. Their are things besides weight lifting and long slow cardio that can shave time off of the time it takes to see results.

When you stop and think about it the fact that his heart has to increase it rate and drasticly change it blood pressure profile from it's resting state says that he is almost not in good enough shape to play the trumpet any more. So that means that things that are as strenious as walking or more so especialy with one's life partner mightnot be so hot as well. Playing a trumpet according to many instructors should not require any more conditioning then you would need to walk and carry on a conversation.

I am grossly over weight and that happened after a bad accident left me darn near crippled for close to three years before I could find a surgeon to do the work on my ankle. I went from 225lbs. getting read to join the Army and training daily at my local YMCA and running with the Armya nd Marine Corp recruiters to barley able to check my mail. I went from 225lbs. and lean to around 400lbs. in three year's felling sorry for myself and just watching tv and eating junk. I am down to about 320lbs.-330lbs.! Unlike most obesse people though my heart and lungs are in great shape because I have been an athlete my entire life. I had a stress test done a year ago as part of my physical. My Doctor wanted a complete work up due to my size. I will be 36 this comeing June. My cardic functioning though was tested out to be that of a 20 year old. My stroke volume and some ejection fraction numbers and such where just barely intot he range one see's from highly trained endurance athletes. The cardiac Dr. had to call all his young residents in to see this because I was so not the norm for a 35 year old obesse male. My arteries where clear but they where slightly stiffer then what the Cardiac expert likes to see in men my age. He recomended that I bias a bit more to cardio and less towards strength training to reverse that.

On the other hand if I had been some obesse person from child hood all the way up to know I would be a mess inside. The only reason my body is copeing with my obessity is due to previous conditioning but that will only carry me so far. In fact I need another surgery on my ankle to hopefully finish the repair job.

No one is saying you need to train for it like a sport only that anyone can improve their health even someone that is bed restricted! If you really love playing now would be a great time to just slowly start to make a change. Start easy and build up. If you have joint issues or mobility issues pm me and I can recomend things basedon any condition you have. If you want to do as little as possable that is fine. Like I said before you could very well get by with 15 minutes done 7 days a week or 20-30 minutes 5 days a week. To correct a condition like high blood pressure or mobility issues with exercise normaly takes daily work at first. Once you reach your goal though you can often maintain with as little as 3 workouts a week.

Seriously guys anyone that is experinceing fatigue, rapid heart rate or exhaustion from playing the trumpet is out of shape badly and needs to start know if they want to perserve their ability to play for the rest of their lifes. Lung capcity and cardiac output decline with age unless you train to prevent it!

rowuk

This is a GROSS simplification. There are enough reasons for blood pressure that have little to do with being out of shape or overweight. My BMI was 26 before losing 26 pounds, I also had a regular swimming (2km in 40 minutes)/biking (10-20km 3x per week) routine.

I lose about 3 pounds on a big band gig in the course of the night. We play from 8 to 2:30. If that is not intense, I don't know what is!

Just see a doctor regularly and get informed early. If your doctor is decent and is not a PC coward, they will tell you that you are FAT, SICK or anything else required to get your butt in gear and apply some PREVENTIVE maintenance.

The key is not treating the symptoms or secondary effects - solve the problem!

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

haveatake

I did this as more of an experiment than anything else. While I agree that my resting blood pressure is a bit high, my BP while playing a high C is, in my opinion, very good. That is what I was most surprised at. As far as my heart rate increasing while playing a high C for 30 seconds, that is to be expected. How fast it recovers back to normal is more important. Playing is a form of exercise. It may not raise your pulse as much as running, but it does have some cardio benefits.

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