Author: Felicity Dales – Body Torque
People say that muscles need to be stretched and bent to gain strength. And if the heart is a muscle, how far can it be stretched and bent without breaking?
Walking, running, swimming and cycling are among the basic exercises considered good for the heart and muscles. And while exercising can be really beneficial to the body, knowing when to stop can also put you at an advantage when considering the health of your heart.
In the medical world, some studies show that endurance training can be the cause of heart impairment. However, further research and testing needs to be conducted in order to prove this claim.
Therefore, during this time, it might still be too early to declare conclusive statements about the effects of intensive cardiovascular exercises. There needs to be a clear detection of the probable cause of one’s heart condition.
Is your heart at risk because of erratic endurance training?
Imagine being an athlete and yet, you were told that there’s something wrong with your heart? This is what happened in 2009 when researchers found out after performing six controlled studies. Athletes going for endurance are more likely to pose a risk of acquiring atrial fibrillation (AF), an abnormal heart rhythm that happens in a disorganized way.
Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is not a very serious condition, it will most likely increase your chances of getting heart complications like stroke and a heart failure. Nonetheless, the pros outweigh the cons as studies reveal that heart problems are imminent for people who do not exercise at all.
Exercise is like a gift you can give to yourself. Occurrences of cardiovascular issues in people who exercise is very rare; and if it ever happens, it’s only because of congenital flaws, or poor choices of living which includes; unbalanced diet, inadequate exercise habits, and vices like drinking and smoking.
In any case, if you experience any changes in the rhythm of your heartbeat, don’t stop exercising altogether. Instead, try to reduce the intensity of your workouts. As said earlier, healthy exercise habits help in the prevention of stroke and other unlikely cardio illnesses.
It is also essential to watch out for the following symptoms as this may already mean atrial fibrillation (AF):
- Chest pain
- Decreasing ability to workout
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Racing or irregular rhythm feeling in chest
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Light-headedness
- Difficulty in breathing
The abnormal rhythms will not come all at once, but will start out every once in a while. Continuity of strenuous exercise despite the initial warnings may lead to recurrence and later on become a greater hazard. At times, though, symptoms will not appear unless a checkup is done.
Mostly at risk are, in particular, tall men. However, a lot more studies need to be conducted to identify this case.
Beware of the warning signs, monitor your heartbeat while you exercise, and while you are at rest. If there seems to be any irregularity that raises your concern or makes you doubt, go directly to your GP, so you can get checked.
Now, do take note that for AF cases, the sporadic rhythm will not happen unless there is a pre-existing heart condition. Specifically one that has been going on for not less than a year and has been brought about by intense endurance workouts. On the other hand, it might be pleasing to note that not everybody who trains strenuously will undergo the same issues.
What’s not clear, is if atrial fibrillation (AF) is a result of congenital heart issues, or if it could be acquired through intense exercises. There may be a slight probability, though, that a considerable percentage of persons are born together with these cardiovascular weaknesses, and they only tend to appear in those who choose to engage in endurance activities, while it remains inactive for the others.
Assumptions lie in the fact that as the heart aims to meet the demands required from it, it may then experience tension, inflammation and trauma. The constant rise and fall of heart rates, from minimum to maximum in a short span of time may trigger all of these factors. Another suspected cause is the scarring caused by endurance workout that might have obstructed the transportation of signals to and from the heart, which resulted in irregular heart rhythm.
One more factor to take into consideration regarding heart health is if you were already living a healthy life prior to the decision of engaging in endurance exercises. Those who have made an abrupt switch of lifestyle, from unhealthy to healthy real quick, might be putting too much pressure on the heart, resulting in malfunction.
So, even if we do know that exercise is good for our overall health, we should also remember that too much of anything is unhealthy and disadvantageous. Because while problems regarding weight, fitness and blood pressure can be fixed with the help of exercise; heart damage is one unlikely to mend.
A daily exercise routine of 30-60 minutes is already enough to attain good physical conditions. It will even give you more time to spend with family and friends at home.
The Haywire Heart, 2017, is a good read if you want to be more knowledgeable about endurance workouts and what’s good for your heart. Both former pro cyclist Lennard Zinn and heart doctor John Mandrola joined efforts to produce this book.
How far can your heart go? The answer is really up to you. Just be wise enough to set up boundaries and limitations that will help you achieve a truly healthy life.
