EFFECTS OF CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICATIONS ON EXERCISE RESPONSES

Many patients who are referred for physical therapy take medications t hat affect either their physiological responses to exercise or their a bility to exercise. The purpose of this article is to discuss how medi cations potentially can affect cardiovascular responses to exercise. T he effects of selected medications on heart rate blood pressure, and e lectrocardiographic responses during exercise; on exercise performance ; and on training adaptations are discussed. The types of medications included in this review are beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists, vaso dilators, diuretics, digitalis, and antiarrhythmic agents. The mechani sms of action and the clinical indications are described for each cate gory of drugs. Ways in which each of the categories of drugs interacts with exercise responses, exercise performance, and training adaptatio ns are described. Knowledge of a person's medications can Provide valu able information on current physical condition and medical history and can alert therapists as to how exercise responses may be altered. Pot ential complications that are likely to occur during exercise can be i dentified, facilitating the design of safe and effective treatment pro grams.