10 days ago

ForMartha • 10

@formartha

Heya,

I love mountain biking and I wish to continue doing it. I ride on locations which forces me to push on the pedals and it’s not like I’m gym, but it can be very challenging.

I can switch to ride an eMTB I just wonder if it’s going to work..

I would love to hear from your experience. (P.S. I have icare it’s it’s very unreliable..)

10 days ago

david 4.3k

@david_fe

I've done a lot of mountain biking and my IOP is always lower immediately afterwards. I don't have a good way to measure IOP during demanding riding. However, research says that aerobic exercise such as mountain biking is generally beneficial for IOP. See this article, for example:

Aerobic exercise reduces intraocular pressure and expands Schlemm's canal dimensions in healthy and primary open-angle glaucoma eyes | Ask FitEyes

The main caveats I'm aware of are: don't overdo it, and maintain good breathing.

Overtraining and excessive straining have been reported to cause IOP spikes. Improper breathing habits (especially Valsalva maneuver) have also been reported to be detrimental for glaucoma patients.

Also, wear eye protection while riding. (And a helmet too, of course.)