POUNDING the pavement or attending a boxing class when angry or stressed out is many people's way of letting off steam. But a new study suggests you may need to think again, for the sake of your heart.
People who take on high intensity exercise while angry are more than twice as likely to have a heart attack, according to researchers in Canada.
Their paper, published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation, suggests a doubling of the risk between anger or emotional upset, or physical exertion, and the onset of first heart attack symptoms within one hour.
"Being angry and engaging in high intensity exercise both have the same effect on the body," said exercise physiologist Carly Ryan, spokesperson for peak exercise and sports science body Exercise & Sports Science Australia.
"They can both raise your heart rate and blood pressure as well as reducing the flow of blood to the heart."
The research also found the association was much stronger - just over triple the risk - for patients who said they had been angry or emotionally upset while also engaging in heavy physical exertion.
"Many of us will use exercise as a way to combat our anger or stress- and nine times out of 10, physical activity will do the job," Ms Ryan said.
"Exercise releases endorphins, which makes us feel an overall sense of wellbeing and gives us extra energy, so it is a perfect way to tackle a troubled mind."
But she warned that at the same time "performing high intensity exercise in some situations could be dangerous".
"The term 'high intensity interval training' or HIIT can have numerous health benefits, but you must understand your body, health and limitations before taking on such extreme exercise," Ms Ryan said.
"Heart attacks are mainly caused by atherosclerosis, which is the result of poor health choices, and can often exist undetected until it's too late."
She advised people to look after their bodies and consult an exercise professional to work out an individualised program to suit their needs.
To find your local accredited exercise scientist or physiologist, www.exerciseright.com.au
