Too much exercise bad for heart

Exercise is extremely useful for heart health. There are many studies that have found that people who exercise in any amount are much less likely to develop heart disease or die from it than people who do not exercise (are sedentary).

However, recent studies also show a bell type curve in relation to benefits that heart can get from exercise, meaning, the more people work out, the less they are at risk of cardiac problems – up to a point, and then the benefits plateau or decline.

The studies of Dr Paul Thompson, chief of cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and his colleagues along with scientists at the Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, should reassure us. Dr Thompson said, ‘There is no evidence that there is a level of exercise that is dangerous or too much for a normal, healthy person.’

At the same time, those of us who work out should understand that frequent exercise training causes ‘profound changes in cardiac physiology and structure’. In the short term, these changes can mimic heart damage with cardiac cells often becoming “leaky“ after strenuous workouts, releasing proteins into the bloodstream that, in other circumstances, could indicate a heart attack. ‘These proteins usually disappear within a few days, and the heart seems to recover fully,’ Dr Thompson said.

Strenuous exercises can have unexpected dangers. The studies show that older marathon runners can be as susceptible to atherosclerosis (buildup of plaques in the arteries) as their sedentary counterparts. Over-exercising may increase the risk that the plaques will rupture, resulting in a heart attack.

According to the new review, people with inherited heart abnormalities, such as cardiomyopathy may exacerbate their conditions with strenuous exercise.

It may be a good idea to have a cardiac evaluation done to rule out if potentially dangerous medical conditions pre-exist so that necessary advice regarding level of physical activity can be prescribed.