High Blood Pressure and Running: Read This First

Maybe…
Maybe you take something for it.
Maybe you don’t.
Maybe you think it won’t matter on the road.
Maybe you should know before the miles pile up.
Here’s the truth:
If you’re over 50, high blood pressure is common.
And some of the pills you take for it change the game.
Two big ways:

1. They can strip potassium

That’s a key electrolyte.
It keeps muscles firing and your heart steady.
Without enough, you risk cramps, fatigue, even dangerous rhythm changes.

2. The can blunt your thirst

You don’t feel parched—even when you should.
That’s dangerous for any runner.
Especially if you’re logging long miles, sweating more than you think.
The trap?
Most “hydration” drinks are loaded with sodium.
For runners with high blood pressure, that’s pouring gasoline on the fire.
You may feel like you’re helping your body, but you’re making it work harder.
What to do?
Know your meds.
Ask your doctor what they deplete—and what they disguise.
Replace what’s missing.
Magnesium, potassium, other electrolytes—yes, but the right kind, in the right amount.
Skip the sugar-and-salt bomb in a sports bottle unless you know it fits your condition.
Running with high blood pressure isn’t about fear.
It’s about knowing your body better than ever before.
It’s about seeing the invisible changes before they trip you.
It’s about keeping the miles safe so you can keep them coming.
Every mile is earned.
Don’t let the wrong sip take them away.

let’s run forever.

And if you know a man 50+ who’s thinking about lacing up again,
invite him in.
There’s a whole community here.
Still running. Still learning. Still becoming.
Let’s run forever.
Together.

THE PERSONAL MILE

I didn’t know.
He was a kid in my class once—now he’s 60.
Still running.
Still showing up.
Only recently did he tell me: high blood pressure.

One of his meds strips potassium.
Another blunts his thirst.
He never feels like drinking.
That’s why.

He’s smart—he talks to an Ironman friend about nutrition.
Learns about magnesium.
Learns there’s more than one kind.
Learns that some help runners.
And some…don’t.

What got me wasn’t the science—it was the gap.
For decades, no one told him that his pills could make running riskier.
That’s the part we have to change.

You can’t prevent every surprise in life.
But you can make sure the ones you see coming don’t knock you off the road.

TOOLBOX

  • Know your meds. Ask your doctor if they deplete potassium, magnesium, or other electrolytes.

  • Replace wisely. Not all electrolyte drinks are safe for runners with high blood pressure—check labels for sodium.

  • Magnesium matters. Magnesium glycinate or citrate are often better absorbed; avoid magnesium oxide for running performance.

  • Hydrate on schedule. If thirst cues are dulled, drink at set intervals, not just when you “feel like it.”

  • Test, don’t guess. Blood work can show what you’re low on before you feel the symptoms.