Can you damage your heart running

Mitrani says that there are a number of other activities that can help you reach your goal of minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, such as cycling, swimming, dancing, and even walking. Their Name required. Their Email required. Your Name required. Your Email required. Your Message. Tags: cardiology , Dr. Raul Mitrani , exercise , running.

As a cardiologist, I knew my heart health had to come first. If a heart attack occurs, a marathon runner is more likely to survive than his or her sedentary counterpart, but the same can be said of people who engage in other kinds of regular activity.

Exercising regularly puts your heart in a better place to survive a cardiac event. But endurance running has actually been linked to poor heart health. Studies have found that the hearts of lifelong male endurance athletes may contain more plaque or other signs of heart problems, such as scarring and inflammation, than the hearts of less active men of the same age.

For these people, the right atrium and right ventricle dilate and there are elevations of blood troponins and B-type natriuretic peptide, suggesting there is temporary injury to these chambers at the end of a marathon. This is due to three to five hours of volume overload for these thinner chambers while the individual is running a marathon. When this damage occurs repetitively over time, scar tissue may build up in the heart muscle, which can lead to sudden death.

A combination of both aerobic exercise and strength exercise is best. Exercise helps preserve weight loss, which is good for the heart. Running is the most efficient source of aerobic exercise, hence its popularity. Need Help?

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