Pharmacokinetic Drug Interactions With Physical Activity

Physical activity produces many positive physiological changes. Some of these physiological changes, however, can adversely affect the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and/or excretion of certain medications when taken concurrently. Blood flow distribution is fundamental to the study of pharmacokinetics and can vary dramatically during rest compared with exercise. The liver and the kidney play significant roles in calculating the pharmacokinetic parameters of medications. Blood flow to these organs is significant at rest but decreases during exercise. These changes in blood flow, as well as other physiological changes during exercise, have shown to alter the pharmacokinetics of some drugs. Medications that require extra therapeutic monitoring may be affected by this drug-exercise interaction. Health care professionals and patients should be aware of these potential drug-exercise interactions.