Urea levels may be elevated during illness or after exercise. In this article, we will analyze the main reasons for this phenomenon, and its danger. The body synthesizes urea to remove ammonia, which is a serious hazard to humans. Urea is produced in the liver from carbon dioxide, ammonia and ATP. In turn, ammonia is a breakdown product of protein compounds. With some pathologies or with intense physical exertion, an active breakdown of protein compounds begins in the body, as a result of which the level of urea in the blood rises.
The permissible content of this substance in the blood is considered to be from 6 to 7 mmol – l – 1 for men and from 4 to 5 mmol – l – 1 for women. If the content of urea in the blood exceeds these values, therefore, the load during the training session was too intense. At the same time, the indicators below these indicate an insufficient load.
How to determine your urea level
Scientists have established three types of body reaction to external physical activity. The urea content is determined at rest, and the blood test is taken on an empty stomach.
Reaction of the first kind
is determined by the direct relationship between the amount of urea in the blood and the load. Usually, in such cases, its level is within the normal range for two days. This may indicate a balance between catabolic and anabolic processes in the body, as well as the correspondence of loads to the physical capabilities of the athlete.
The second kind of reaction
characterized by a drop in the level of urea (sometimes even below the permissible values) with increasing loads. Such a situation may mean the incompleteness of the recovery process associated with the appearance of conditions for suppressing urea production due to the active use of amino acid compounds for protein synthesis in muscle tissues. The second type of reaction is very rare and in this case, athletes have certain difficulties when performing high-speed loads and the general condition worsens slightly.
Reaction of the third type
does not have a pronounced relationship between the amount of urea in the blood and changes in external physical activity. In this case, the urea content in the blood significantly exceeds the permissible values for two days. Such a reaction can lead to long-term, high-intensity workouts that are "stressful" in nature. It is also worth noting that most often with the third type of reaction, the level of urea continues to increase, regardless of the load. This indicates that the load does not correspond to the level of the athlete's physical condition, and special recovery measures are required.
For all athletes, transitions between the types of reactions are possible, which depend on the magnitude of the load and measures to restore the body. For athletes, resting urea levels average 4.5 to 6.5 mmol – l – 1. The exact value of the upper limit depends largely on the amount of protein entering the body. So, for example, when consumed during the day more than 2.5 g – kg, the level of urea can exceed 10 mmol – l – 1.
To carry out a blood test for the level of urea, a photometer, a set of reagents, capillaries for taking a blood sample, a micropipette, an automatic dispenser, alcohol, cotton wool and a centrifuge are used.
As mentioned above, blood tests should be done on an empty stomach. About 20 μl of blood is taken from the athlete. Then it is mixed with trichloroacetic acid and placed in a centrifuge for 10 minutes. After that, the solution is placed in a photometer, where the urea content is determined by multiplying the results obtained in the photometer by 4.2. The final value is the desired level of the substance in the blood.
Causes of increased urea levels
High levels of urea can lead to very serious consequences, for example, disruptions in the functioning of the brain and central nervous system. Among the reasons for the increase in the content of this substance in the blood, in addition to the already mentioned excessive loads and the consumption of large amounts of protein, there may also be the following:
Heart failure
which is typical for people with hypertensive and ischemic heart disease. A sharp jump in the level of urea is possible with an increase in blood pressure, myocardial infarction, as well as with a high content of fluid and salt in the body.
Vascular insufficiency
This problem is typical for those people who do not take drugs that lower blood pressure in the wrong way.
Disorders in the urinary system
caused by compression of the ureter, tumors, adhesions of the urethra, etc. For these reasons, urine cannot be excreted from the body and returns back to the renal pelvis. In turn, this can lead to inflammation and pyelonephritis.
How to lower urea levels
As mentioned above, the level of urea can increase both due to high loads during training, which do not correspond to the physical capabilities of the athlete, and when eating high-protein foods. This is to talk only about the need to correctly draw up a nutrition program. However, if the level of urea in the blood still increased, then there are ways to reduce it.
The first thing to do is to include more vegetables and fruits in your diet. You may have to give up meat for a while and eat more berries and cereals. You should also reduce the load during classes in the hall. As a drink, you should use diuretic decoctions, such as rose hips or special diuretic teas.
In folk medicine, lingonberry leaves, chamomile and St. John's wort are used for these purposes. All this will be effective if pathological changes caused by the disease do not occur in the body. In this case, you must contact a medical professional. Together with the medicines prescribed by the doctor, you can continue to use herbal decoctions.
Reduced urea content
This happens extremely rarely, but it does take place. It should be noted that this indicator may not be diagnosed. The most common causes of decreased urea levels are:
- Nutrition programs that exclude protein foods from their composition;
- Liver dysfunction causing impaired urea synthesis;
- Cirrhosis of the liver;
- Malabsorption is a disease associated with impaired absorption of amino acid compounds by the intestine;
- Phosphorus or arsenic intoxication of the body.
How to increase urea levels
There must always be a balance of all substances in the body. Low urea levels are also considered unsafe and can be caused by certain diseases. To increase the content of a substance in the blood, the following steps must be taken:
- Undergo an examination and identify the cause of the decrease in the level of urea;
- If any disease is detected, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause of its occurrence;
- Make changes to the nutrition program by adding more protein foods.
Learn more about ways to regulate blood urea in this video:
