My column this month at Endurance Corner is entitled, “Everything I Know (and Don’t Know) About Compression Garments.” It’s broken into part 1 and part 2 postings.
In the multisport world, compression garments have become very popular over the past few years. I review some of the studies on compression garments and athletic performance, recovery, long distance travel, and the heart specifically.
I’m a medical student, former semi-pro athlete, and I’ve got a resting HR that’s been as low as 42, but is now in the neighborhood of 45-48. I’ve been reading a lot about the athletic heart since realizing I’ve got one, and just came upon this blog today. Great stuff. I don’t actually fit the defined parameters of “athlete” anymore, as med school has limited my training hours to below 1hr/day, but I still run 5x/wk, usually 2-4 mi. I’ve also got a very soft mid-systolic murmur that I first discovered while we were learning physical exam skills. It’s really fascinating stuff, and I imagine pretty common these days with all the people picking up long-distance running, so thanks for dedicating so much time to it!
Good to hear from you. Best of luck with school.
I think that 5+ hours of running per week certainly qualifies you as an athlete! And that’s plenty enough exercise to lead to chronic adaptations (eg, low resting heart rate).
Systolic murmurs are very common.
Larry
Really enjoyed this post as there is quite a bit of uncertainty around compression gear. I personally am a fan and found your post very informative and a good read. Looking forward to more posts on how to stay heart healthy during strenuous activity.