Hi, can anyone who have insight, experience or specialist knowledge share us on how weightlifting may trigger brain aneurysm?
How do we prevent brain aneurysm during weightlifting?
That’s a question for your doctor, really. If you have a brain aneurysm, you’ll need medical advice based on your known physiology.
Any strenuous activity can cause an existing brain aneurysm to rupture. But it likely won’t create an aneurysm.
Get cleared by your doctor, then start gradually, increasing weight and/or intensity over time.
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@simplz That is true but I think it really applies to very heavy lifts and I don’t know if there are other factors that apply. I did see someone pass out once at the gym while doing heavy cleans. They caught the weight in the front rack and then lost consciousness, fell backwards and didn’t recall any of it. If most of your conditioning is cycling and you maintain a heart healthy diet and are not lifting at your max all of the time and you don’t have other preexisting issues I don’t think it should be much of a concern. If you do lift heavy it is important to let your body build up to each lift and ideally do it with a coach present or perhaps as part of an Olympic lifting club.
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Technically, super high stress and high blood pressure can cause a brain aneurism with no physical activity. So that said, it depends on you and your physiological makeup, your current lifestyle, etc.
Assuming a person is healthy enough to engage in weightlifting in the first place - let’s just assume we are if we’re in a sports specific forum - then it’s going to take quite a bit of force to blow a blood vessel in your head. How much? Again, it depends. The more you partake in an activity the more your body becomes adjusted and accustomed to it. I’ve been lifting for close to 25 years. A person just starting squats has no business lifting the way I do or going for a one rep max without doing a proper ramp routine - which isn’t a 1-4 week program - unless you’re just interested in trying to get yourself injured.
Having been an amateur powerlifter in a previous life, I can tell you the weight load required to cause that is unachievable by the majority of people cycling and doing strength training as supplemental - unless they don’t know what they’re doing and try to do too much too soon.
Same thing with racing and riding - it’s a skill you build upon.
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An aneurysm can happen to anyone. I was a competitive powerlifter for many years, so what with my heavy training and competing I know there was plenty of stress placed on my body and brain. I’ve had nosebleeds a few times after attempting a Deadlift PR and I’ve blacked out under the squat bar once (that’s damn scary). No issues yet but I’m only in my mid 40’s, hopefully I’m not even half way through my life ?!
My mother, who I may add has I don’t think ever touched a weight in her life had a brain aneurysm a little over ten years ago. A very healthy non-smoking lady in her late 50’s that collapsed unexpectedly at a party and spent the following 3 months in a UK hospital. Doctors were unable to link her stroke to anything; sports wise she regularly swam, walked and played badminton but nothing at the exertion level that could be deemed excessive or potentially dangerous. There were a very rough few years after her stroke but she has recovered well and enjoyed her 70th Birthday late last year
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