a serious health problem

for those that stop heavy exercise too early without a warm down period.

What is Blood Pooling?

Blood pooling can occur when the walls and valves in your veins (especially your lower extremities) stop working effectively. This makes it difficult for your blood to return to your heart, this condition is also known as chronic venous insufficiency, in which blood pools in your veins. Over time this can cause the valves inside the veins of your legs over time can become damaged, if this occurs it will cause blood to leak backward with gravity as opposed to returning to the heart.

Valve damage occurs with aging, excessive sitting, extended standing and low levels of mobility, over time it will cause a chronic venous insufficiency.

Exercise Can Trigger Blood Pooling

Well when you work out hard, your heart is working harder to pump the oxygenated blood to your muscles. When you stop suddenly, the heart keeps pumping like crazy, now if the muscles are no longer needing the extra blood and oxygen and the heart is still pumping... your blood can pool in areas of your body, but primarily in your legs.

During the exercise, your muscles and the muscle action, will aid the amount of blood returned to your heart. This is accomplished by the contraction and relaxation of the muscles surrounding the veins and causing a pumping action for them. This helps the blood to override gravity and return quickly to your heart for re-oxygenation and re-circulation.

However, when you stop exercising quickly and your muscles are no longer contracting against your veins, gravity causes the blood to pool in your lower extremities, this can cause you to feel faint or dizzy, even experience a loss of consciousness. And if your heart is still working hard, your heart (and brain) needs that blood to return to it. If it does not, it strains the heart and can cause damage in the long term.

Cool-Down

The way to reduce this effect

If you worked out hard, you need a brief cool-down (especially after cardiovascular exercise) as it allows your heart to return to its resting state. When you slowly bring your heart rate back down to normal levels, you will avoid the blood from pooling in your lower extremities. This is because with slow contraction and relaxation (pumping) you are still facilitating the blood's return to the heart. This cool down period of slow movement, also helps to avoid any rapid changes in your blood pressure, which can cause other complications.

After you train, train yourself to also engage in a five to 10 minute cool down using light cardiovascular movement like walking, swimming or stretching, where the leg muscles in particular contract, relax and or stretch to facilitate the return of blood to the heart.

When you are young, it may not matter

as it may not affect you. However it can and will have residual effects, so protect yourselves early... you will outlast the pack.

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Good Health – Evan Pantazi #Kyusho

Image Credit: rd.com, nyt, onsugar