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A new study now concludes that extreme exercise is not detrimental to the health of athletes.
A new study now concludes that extreme exercise is not detrimental to the health of athletes.
Dr. Benjamin Levine, a sports cardiologist, led a study, now published in JAMA Cardiology, to find the answer.
Coronary CT is an imaging test that helps physicians categorize patients with no heart symptoms as low, medium or high risk for heart attack.
It represents the amount of calcium (and therefore cholesterol deposits) accumulated in the blood vessels that supply the heart. The badysis can help doctors determine the need for medication, lifestyle modification and other risk-reducing measures.
Speaking of the study, Dr. Levine said, "The question of whether exercise is good for you, but if extreme exercise is bad for you. For the past ten years, there has been growing concern that intensity exercise can hurt the heart. We have found that high volumes of exercise are safe even when the coronary calcium level is high. "
In this study, high volume and high intensity exercises were defined as at least five to six hours per week at a rate of 10 minutes per mile. The average amount of high intensity exercise in this group was eight hours a week.
Coronary calcium is the hallmark of atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries and causes a heart attack and stroke.
Dr. Levine studied data from the Cooper Center longitudinal study. Athletes, most of them middle-aged, reported their levels of physical activity and underwent a coronary calcium scan. Most were mostly runners, but some were cyclists, swimmers or rowers. A subgroup of athletes trained in three of these sports.
Despite the findings that extreme exercise does not present a risk of heart disease, Dr. Levine advised against using the protective effect of exercise to excuse bad lifestyle habits. "You can not beat a lifetime of bad behavior – smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure – just by doing intense physical activity, so do not use it as a magic cure," said Dr. Levine. .
He also recommended caution when launching a new training program. "If you want to train for a marathon, you must have a long-term plan to allow you to progress slowly before reaching these volumes and this intensity of exercise."
Laura DeFina, co-author of the study, added: "The current study does not show an increased risk of mortality in people who exercise a high volume of calcium in the coronary artery. Certainly, these people who exercise a high volume should reconsider their risk of cardiovascular disease with their primary treatment. family doctor or cardiologists and the results of the study provide useful clinical indications. "
"The most important message for the practicing audience is that having lots of exercise is safe, and the benefits of exercise far outweigh the minor risk of the exercise. Have a little more coronary calcium, "added Dr. Levine.
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