damage

PRO/CON: Prolonged intense exercise leads to heart damage

October 16, 2013 By Larry Creswell, MD 3 Comments

In today’s October 15, 2013 edition of the Journal of Physiology, there is an interesting edition of CrossTalk. A regular feature at the Journal, CrossTalk offers experts a chance to do a point/counterpoint on a given topic, along with the chance for rebuttal as well reader comments.

Today’s topic is: Prolonged intense exercise training does/does not lead to myocardial (heart) damage.

The short pieces are pretty accessible, even for non-medical or non-scientifically inclined readers. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read them. In concise, 2-page articles the authors summarize the body of evidence for and against the hypothesis.

The PRO side (DOES lead to heart damage) is authored by Drs. Eduard Gausch and Stanley Nattel from the Montreal Heart Institute.

The CON side (DOES NOT lead to heart damage) is authored by Drs. Jonathan Ruiz, Michael Joyner, and Alejandro Lucia from the University of Granada, Mayo Clinic, and the European University and Research Institute, respectively.

There are also PRO and CON rebuttals.

My take….

This is a timely discussion. The potential for heart injury with extreme forms of exercise over the long term has certainly been a hot topic in the popular press. The controversy captures our attention because of the tremendous increase in participation in marathons and long distance triathlons. From today’s CrossTalk you’ll see that there may be very legitimate differences of opinion when it comes to conclusions from the that facts that are currently known.

You’ll also see mention of the current gaps in our knowledge that will frame future research. There are many pertinent unanswered questions that everyday endurance athletes would like answers for.

My best advice is to stay tuned. Be informed. The answers will come. For now, athletes who are participating in amounts of endurance exercise that exceed typical recommendations for healthy living should pay careful attention as new information becomes available.

Related Posts:
1. Exercise is Good!
2. Don’t Stop Running Yet!
3. Index to previous posts

Short-Term and Long-Term Injury to the Heart with Exercise

February 14, 2012 By Larry Creswell, MD 2 Comments

In my column this month at Endurance Corner, I write about the potential harm to the heart that might result from exercise. We’ve known for a long while about the many beneficial effects of exercise, but investigators are just beginning to learn about the potential for short- and long-term adverse consequences on the heart.

I’m sure there will be more to come on this issue.

Can Too Much Exercise Harm the Heart?

April 19, 2011 By Larry Creswell, MD 3 Comments

Check out my monthly column at Endurance Corner, where I discuss the potential for (too much) exercise over the long term to cause harm to the heart.

All things considered, this issue hasn’t been studied very well. I review some of the pertinent scientific studies that raise important questions in this regard. The findings are certainly preliminary and beg for more research.

In my mind, the health benefits of exercise are well understood, though. I wouldn’t stop exercising just yet!

In the News: Acute Effects of Marathoning on the Heart

December 2, 2009 By Larry Creswell, MD 2 Comments

At last month’s annual scientific meeting of the American Heart Association, investigators from the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, reported on a small study of runners who participated in the 2008 Detroit Marathon.

The abstract for their presentation was published in the Abstract Book for the meeting and their findings are also summarized in this article from ScienceNews online.

There has long been the concern that there is acute (and possible long-lasting) heart damage in amateur runners who participate in marathon events. The study participants underwent blood tests, a cardiac MRI scan, and 24-hour Holter monitoring (tape recording of the ECG) 4 weeks before and then immediately after the marathon. The authors reported that, although there is release of a small amount cardiac enzymes into the bloodstream (indicating potential heart stress) during and immediately after a marathon, there is no evidence of damage per se to the heart. They also confirm the findings of many previous investigators that there is mild to moderate enlargement of the right atrium and right ventricle when they are measured immediately after the marathon. These changes are thought to resolve within 3 to 6 months after the event.

The detailed findings from this study probably won’t appear in medical journal for a year or more, but long-distance runners should take some comfort from this report.