P&P #30. Advice to Avoid Breath-holding During Resistance Exercise Is Often Ill-advised
Medical experts usually strongly discourage the Valsalva manoeuvre (breath-holding against a closed glottis) during weight training, especially if the exerciser is an older adult or recovering cardiac patient, because the associated increase in blood pressure may be harmful. Yet, any effort against a significant load is always accompanied by a breath-holding reflex, an action which stabilises the body and, in the case of lifting a load, protects the lumbar spine from injury. In fact, exhalation during effort significantly decreases the force that can be exerted and compromises postural stability.
Moreover, the medical profession says little about the prolonged episodes of Valsalva use when one voids the bowels, especially if one is constipated. Explosive increases in blood pressure may also occur during coughing or sneezing bouts. We must also ask if increases in blood pressure caused by regular breath-holding during weight training produces a training effect which can make a person 'fitter' to cope more competently with increases in blood pressure caused by disease, manual labour etc. Comment on these breath-holding issues.
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