Comparative assessment of arterial blood pressure and body composition in athletes practicing physical culture and in obese subjects

: The relationship between body weight excess and hypertension has been widely demonstrated. Some body-builders can reach an important body weight excess because of the skeletal muscle hypertrophy; their body mass index is comparable to that of obese subjects, although body fat excess is responsible for overweight in the latter. Blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and insulin, Na+, K+, Ca++ urinary excretion have been compared in three groups of young males: 1. body builders with BMI greater than 27; 2. obese subjects with BMI greater than 27; 3. normal subjects with BMI less than 25. Systolic blood pressure was similar in body-builders and obese and significantly higher than in the control group. Diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and insulin were similar in normal subjects and in body-builders and significantly lower than in obese subjects. Although our results confirm the relationship between increased diastolic blood pressure, hyperinsulinemia and body fat excess, the finding of increased systolic blood pressure suggests caution in body-building, because systolic hypertension has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for vascular diseases.