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Day in Health
by Lisa Collier Cool
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Running, long considered a healthy hobby, may actually be dangerous for some. At least thats the prevailing opinion of a number of the countrys top cardiologists and a new study due out next month from British journal Heart. According to the editorial, endurance training and marathon running can literally push your heart to its limit, causing a variety of acute problems, such as arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, and lasting damage, including calcification and scarring. Some of these problems are impossible to predict, even if youre an athlete who has been extensively pre-screened with cardiac tests prior to training. For older athletes, the toll that running takes may even outweigh the benefits gained from exercise, the study claims. For many, the new information doesnt add up. Why, for instance, would athletes who have been training for many years suddenly experience heart trouble associated with running? The answer is simple. Intense physical exercise for long periods has the potential to take a toll on the body, in some cases aging it more quickly. According to James H. OKeefe, M.D. of the Mid-America Heart Institute of Kansas City, who co-authored an extensive 2012 study that examined the cardiac risks faced by athletes: Physical exercise, though not a drug, possesses many traits of a powerful pharmacologic agent. A safe upper dose limit potentially exists, beyond which the adverse effects of physical exercise, such as musculoskeletal trauma and cardiovascular stress, may outweigh its benefits. In short, exercise is great in small doses, but too much physical exertion too quickly or for too long a period can actually put a persons heart at risk, especially if he or she is over age 35. 7 Warning Signs of A Heart Attack
An Ounce of Prevention
According to Carl J. Levine, M.D., Medical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, anyone interested in
marathon running should undergo cardiac pre-screening tests to eliminate underlying heart conditions. As many as ten different pre-existing cardiac conditions can be detected. Levine recommends that physicians also take detailed histories of their patients, especially those who are in training, to look for evidence of overexertion, such as tendonitis, stress fractures, and other overuse issues. OKeefe, a cardiologist and co-author of the Mayo Clinic study as well as a marathon runner himself, said it best: Extreme exercise is not conducive to great cardiovascular health. Beyond 30 to 60 minutes a day, you reach a point of diminished returns.