Low Blood Pressure in Athletes

FITCNT Team July 29, 2026 6 min read
Low Blood Pressure in Athletes

Short answer: a low blood-pressure reading can be normal in a fit, symptom-free athlete. It becomes more important when it is new, repeatedly causes dizziness or fainting, appears after dehydration or blood loss, or occurs with heart, endocrine or neurological symptoms.

Low blood pressure is not one diagnosis. The correct response depends on whether the athlete is well, the measurement is accurate, symptoms occur on standing, and there is a clear trigger such as heat, illness, medicine or aggressive weight cutting.

Key takeaway: treat the person and cause, not only the number. Fainting during exercise, chest pain, severe breathlessness or signs of shock require urgent assessment.

Table of contents

What counts as low blood pressure?

A reading below 90/60 mmHg is often described as low blood pressure, but the threshold is not a diagnosis. A person’s usual pressure, symptoms, position and clinical condition matter.

Blood pressure changes across the day and with sleep, posture, meals, heat, hydration and exercise. Confirm an unexpected reading after several minutes of quiet rest with the correct cuff and technique.

When a low reading may be normal

Some healthy people and endurance-trained athletes have lower resting pressure without dizziness, weakness or impaired exercise capacity. In this setting, treatment may not be needed.

Low blood pressure should not be treated as a fitness badge. A new fall from a personal baseline can be important even if the final number looks acceptable on a generic chart.

Symptoms that matter

  • light-headedness or dizziness;
  • blurred or darkening vision;
  • weakness or unusual fatigue;
  • nausea;
  • confusion;
  • palpitations; and
  • fainting or collapse.

The timing helps identify the cause. Symptoms only after standing suggest an orthostatic pattern. Symptoms during maximal exercise raise a different level of concern and need medical assessment.

Common causes in athletes

  • dehydration from training, heat, vomiting or diarrhoea;
  • rapid weight cutting, sauna use or diuretics;
  • blood donation or bleeding;
  • blood-pressure or heart medicines;
  • alcohol;
  • prolonged bed rest or illness;
  • anaemia;
  • low blood glucose in relevant settings;
  • thyroid, adrenal or other endocrine conditions;
  • arrhythmia or structural heart disease;
  • autonomic nervous system disorders; and
  • severe infection or allergic reaction.

Dizziness can also come from inner-ear, neurological, anxiety and other causes. A low reading found at the same time does not automatically prove causation.

Postural hypotension

Postural, or orthostatic, hypotension is a clinically significant blood-pressure drop after standing. A clinician usually compares readings after lying down and after standing while recording symptoms and heart-rate response.

Do not diagnose it from a single watch or pharmacy reading. Correct timing, position and a proper cuff are needed. The clinician may review medicines, hydration, blood tests, ECG or autonomic testing depending on the pattern.

Heat, dehydration and weight cuts

Australian heat, long events, diarrhoea, deliberate water restriction and diuretic use can reduce circulating volume. Warning signs can include thirst, reduced urine, rapid pulse, weakness, confusion and deteriorating performance.

Severe dehydration and heat illness are not fixed by pushing through a session. Stop exercise, cool down, seek assistance and use an appropriate rehydration plan. Confusion, collapse or very hot skin requires urgent care.

Contest-preparation practices that combine water restriction, sauna use, stimulants and diuretics can become dangerous quickly. Diuretics also carry anti-doping implications.

Medicines and supplements

Blood-pressure medicines, diuretics, nitrates, some antidepressants, erectile-dysfunction medicines and other drugs can contribute. Combining vasodilating products or adding dehydration can increase symptoms.

Do not stop prescribed medicine abruptly. Record when symptoms occur relative to the dose, meals and training, then contact the prescriber. The blood-pressure medicines guide for athletes explains class-specific considerations.

Salt, liquorice or stimulant products are not universal treatments. They may worsen hypertension, interact with medicine or create other risks.

How low blood pressure is assessed

Assessment may include:

  • repeat lying, sitting and standing blood pressure and pulse;
  • history of fluid intake, heat, illness, bleeding and medicines;
  • physical examination;
  • full blood count, electrolytes, kidney, glucose or endocrine tests;
  • ECG or longer rhythm monitoring;
  • echocardiography when structural disease is suspected; or
  • tilt-table or specialist autonomic testing in selected cases.

Bring a home record and the exact device when possible. The clinician needs the number, position, pulse and symptoms together.

What to do safely

If mild postural symptoms occur, stop, sit or lie down, and avoid walking until they resolve. Rise in stages and hydrate if dehydration is likely and you have no medical fluid restriction.

Longer-term treatment addresses the cause. It may involve changing a medicine, correcting dehydration or anaemia, treating an endocrine or heart condition, compression garments or a clinician-directed treatment for orthostatic hypotension.

Increasing salt or fluid is not appropriate for everyone, particularly with heart failure, kidney disease or hypertension. Get individual advice.

When it is an emergency

Call Triple Zero (000) for:

  • collapse during exercise;
  • chest pain or severe breathlessness;
  • confusion, cold clammy skin or signs of shock;
  • major bleeding;
  • stroke symptoms;
  • a severe allergic reaction; or
  • severe heat illness.

Any unexplained fainting deserves medical review, even if the athlete recovers quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Is 90/60 low blood pressure?

It is commonly used as a low threshold, but symptoms, personal baseline and clinical context determine its importance.

Is low blood pressure normal for athletes?

It can be normal in a fit, symptom-free athlete, but a new or symptomatic fall needs assessment.

Why do I get dizzy when I stand?

Postural hypotension is one possibility, but dehydration, medicine and other causes need consideration.

Can dehydration cause low blood pressure?

Yes. Fluid loss reduces circulating volume and can cause dizziness, weakness or collapse.

Can a weight cut cause hypotension?

Water restriction, heat, diuretics and reduced intake can combine to lower pressure dangerously.

Should I eat more salt for low blood pressure?

Not automatically. Extra sodium may be unsuitable with hypertension, kidney or heart disease.

Can blood-pressure medicine make pressure too low?

Yes. Record symptoms and contact the prescriber rather than stopping it suddenly.

Is fainting during training normal?

No. Exertional fainting requires prompt medical assessment.

Can a supplement fix low blood pressure?

No universal supplement treats the many possible causes. Diagnosis comes first.

References and further reading

This article provides general education and cannot diagnose the cause of dizziness, fainting or low blood pressure.

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