Sleep Apnea May Harm Your Fitness Regime

Staying in shape this summer might be more difficult than ever if you are suffering from an undiagnosed sleep disorder. A new study revealed that people suffering from sleep apnea may suffer from a decreased exercise capacity. This is attributed to the fact that a person with sleep apnea is unable to burn the high levels of oxygen needed during difficult exercise.

The research study was conducted at the University of California in San Diego (UCSD). Because sleep apnea is often associated with people that are obese, it has been hypothesized that perhaps obese people see a decreased aerobic ability. When compared with people in the study that had the same body mass index (BMI), those with sleep apnea had reduced aerobic fitness. This means that obesity is not a reason that apnea was linked to exercise capacity.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Jeremy Beitler, said, “Encouraging patients to exercise more is part of the story, but that is not the whole story. We believe the sleep apnea itself causes structural changes in muscle that contributes to their difficult exercising.” The numbers were drastically different between the control subjects and the subjects with OSA. After adjusting for baseline difference, it was found that people with the condition had 14 percent lower oxygen levels than subjects without it.

When you are committed to improving your health, you don’t want to have another condition impacting your ability to better yourself. OSA may be hurting your ability exercise properly and get the oxygen you need to get increase intensity levels. Luckily there is a treatment for this condition.

Before sleep apnea begins to affect your health and life, get tested by a sleep disorder specialist. Signs that you may have sleep apnea include daytime drowsiness, snoring and waking up catching your breath, waking up with a sore or dry throat, and even regular headaches. Sleep apnea is marked by these symptoms but can be affecting your health negatively. This study shows that your oxygen levels are impacted and others studies have revealed higher incidences of stroke and heart conditions.

When it comes to your health, you should never put off seeking medical care. Our team of sleep specialists is available to test you and see if you have a sleep condition. Contact FusionSleep today to schedule an appointment with us and see if you need treatment for OSA.

Source | UC San Diego