Exercise is commonly recognized as excellent for you, and with so many kinds of workouts available, almost anybody can find something they enjoy. Extreme athletes, however, can push themselves beyond healthy boundaries.
Regular high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and endurance events can cause cardiac damage and rhythm issues. People who have hereditary risk factors are particularly susceptible.
That doesn't mean you should put your walking shoes away.
"Moderate exercise remains the greatest prescription for healthy physical and mental health – and competitive athletes should not abandon their training regimen just yet," advises cardiologist Tamanna Singh, MD.
Extreme athletes all have a tenacious resolve. Can too much resolve and tenacity, though, harm your heart?
The Relationship Between Heart Health And Strenuous Activity
Extreme athletes, as opposed to weekend exercise enthusiasts, brisk walkers, or even eager runners, frequently live up to their reputation, pushing the limits of their physical ability. They run 50 miles or more in a single day or run marathons many times in a row, constantly pushing through tiredness, thirst, and agony that would sideline or hospitalize other individuals.
"Extreme, long-term endurance training places equivalent demands on the cardiovascular system," Dr. Singh explains.
A marathon runner research discovered that athletes' blood samples contain biomarkers associated with a cardiac injury even after strenuous running events.
These damage indications generally go away on their own. Still, when the heart is repeatedly subjected to intense physical stress, the temporary damage may result in remodeling or physical changes such as thicker heart walls and scarring of the heart.
Furthermore, research has shown that high-intensity exercise might raise the risk of sudden cardiac arrest or mortality in people with underlying heart illness. This can also raise the risk of cardiac rhythm problems, particularly in the minority of people who have coronary heart disease or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Extreme exercise versus no exercise
When compared to persons who do not exercise, exercise, particularly intense activity, is associated with huge heart health advantages in the great majority of people. On the other hand, exercise can cause arrhythmia in a very tiny fraction of people who have underlying issues.
"While there is evidence that continuous vigorous exercise can raise the risk of atrial fibrillation, the long-term risk is modest when compared to inactivity," Dr. Singh explains.
"Overall, despite the anxiety about intense activity, there isn't much cause for the ordinary individual to be concerned," Dr. Singh adds. "Exercising is vastly preferable to remaining sedentary."
