Exercise can significantly reduce your risk of developing conditions that negatively affect your health Heart, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity. But large amounts of exercise over a lifetime can also damage the heart, leading to the development of a condition called c. athletic.
Exercise has long been recognized by doctors, scientists and public health officials as an important way to maintain health throughout a person's life. It improves overall fitness, helps build strong muscles and bones, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, improves mood and slows physical decline.
The effect of exercise on the heart
The American Heart Association generally recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, such as running, each week. He also recommends muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week.
When people exceed these guidelines, the heart may remodel itself in response, that is, it begins to change size and shape. As a result, heart function may also change. These changes in the structure and function of the Heart among people who engage in high levels of exercise they are referred to as athletic heart or athlete's heart. Athletic heart doesn't necessarily cause problems, but it can increase the risk of certain heart problems in some people.
To understand how exercise affects your heart, it's important to consider what type of exercise you're participating in.
Physical exercise is generally divided into two broad categories: dynamic and static.
Dynamic exercises, such as running, cross-country skiing and soccer, require the heart to pump a greater amount of blood, compared to the amount delivered to the body at rest, to support the activity. For example, when you run, the amount of blood your heart pumps to your body can increase three to five times compared to when you are at rest.
Static exercises, such as weight lifting, gymnastics, or rock climbing, require the body to use skeletal muscles to push or pull large amounts of weight. Although the heart pumps more blood to the skeletal muscles that work during these activities, these types of exercises depend on the muscle's ability to move weight. For example, to perform dumbbell curls, your biceps must be strong enough to lift the desired weight.
Some exercises, such as rowing or cycling, are both highly dynamic and highly static because they require the heart to pump large amounts of blood while simultaneously requiring a large amount of muscle strength to sustain the effort.
It is important to distinguish between dynamic and static exercise because the heart adapts differently depending on the type of exercise you practice over time. Dynamic exercise increases the volume of blood pumping through the heart and can cause the heart to enlarge or dilate over time. Static exercise increases pressure on the heart and can also cause it to enlarge over time, but with thickened walls.
Exercise that exceeds guidelines, such as exercising for more than an hour most days of the week, can lead to athletic heart development. Athletic heart occurs commonly among endurance athletes, who regularly compete in activities such as marathons or other long-duration events. Many exercise for several hours a day and more than 12-15 hours a week.
Among runners, for example, the heart remodels itself in response to the need to pump a high volume of blood. As a result, the heart's chambers enlarge to hold and pump more blood. Among weightlifters, the heart remodels itself by thickening in response to increased pressure placed on the heart.
Exercise is good for the body, and an athletic heart comes from lifelong commitment to an activity that promotes good health. But there may be some problems that arise from an athletic heart.
First, athletes with significantly enlarged hearts may be at risk of developing atrial fibrillation, which is an abnormal heart rhythm that typically occurs among older adults or people with high blood pressure or heart failure. Abnormal heart rhythms are concerning because they can lead to a stroke.
There are many potential reasons why atrial fibrillation occurs in athletes. An enlarged atrium, the upper chamber of the heart, can become inflamed and develop scar tissue, increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation. Stress and environmental factors can also work together to increase the risk of arrhythmia.
Coronary artery calcification, or CAC, is another concern among elite athletes. Coronary artery calcification, which commonly occurs in older adults or those with risk factors for coronary heart disease, increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. In recent years, doctors have used imaging tests to monitor calcium buildup in their patients' arteries to try to determine their risk of heart attack or stroke over time.
It is not entirely clear why elite athletes develop coronary artery calcification. Fortunately, athletes do not appear to have an increased risk of heart attack, even among those with very high CAC levels. For example, a large study of nearly 22,000 participants found that even athletes who engaged in high physical activity and had high CAC levels had no increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease over a decade of follow-up.
Some athletes are rightly concerned about calcium buildup in their heart arteries and may wonder whether or not they should take medications like aspirin or statins. But risks vary from person to person, so anyone concerned about CAC should talk to their doctor.
While elite athletes may be at a higher risk of developing an athletic heart, exercise undoubtedly remains one of, if not the best, methods for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
For example, if someone doesn't exercise regularly, their heart will become stiff and won't pump blood as well as it used to. Routine exercise, especially dynamic exercise such as running, maintains a docile heart and prevents stiffening. A compliant heart will expand much more as it fills with blood and, in turn, will pump more blood with each heartbeat. A stiff heart has difficulty filling with blood and has difficulty pumping blood through the body.
In general, routine exercise throughout adulthood encourages the heart to remain strong and flexible well into old age. Even if someone only began exercising regularly in their 40s and 50s, it is possible to reverse some of the effects of sedentary aging.
For example, a 2018 study of 53 sedentary people, mostly in their 50s, found that those who participated in a two-year exercise program using a combination of running, cycling and elliptical exercise had hearts that became more compliant compared to the hearts of those who have not done physical activity.
It's never too late to start training. Following exercise guidelines regularly can help promote physical and mental health and help your heart stay young for life.
Is your exercise program heart healthy?
Go to the gym regularly. Meet your friends for a walk around the block. Maybe aerobics class is your favorite exercise. But is your exercise program best for your heart health?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. Experts agree that regular exercise is one of the best ways to fight heart disease. Exercise has numerous benefits, including helping to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, maintaining a healthy body weight, and strengthening the heart muscle.
If your goal is a heart-healthy exercise program, Mayo Clinic cardiologist Dr. Regis Fernandes says there are two key things to remember when exercising for optimal heart health.
When it comes to exercising for optimal heart health, Dr. Fernandes says the first thing to keep in mind is the amount of time you dedicate each week to exercise. He recommends aiming for a minimum of 150 minutes per week for optimal heart health benefits.
“You can break it up into three or five days, depending on your schedule. You can definitely do more if you want. But the important thing is to dedicate at least 150 minutes in total every week,” says Dr Fernandes.
The second key component of a heart-healthy exercise program is staying at a moderate intensity level.
“Walking, cycling, swimming, anything that moves the large muscles of the body, it's important that it be of moderate intensity,” says Dr. Fernandes.
To ensure you maintain a heart-healthy moderate intensity, you can use a heart rate monitor. Alternatively, Dr. Fernandes says an easy way to gauge exercise intensity is to simply monitor your breathing.
“If you walk and breathe through your nose, you're not at that level yet. If you walk and can't talk, it's too high,” says Dr. Fernandes. “So the sweet spot for moderate intensity is just breathing through your mouth, but you're still able to talk to someone.”
For better overall health, Dr. Fernandes recommends an exercise program that includes resistance or strength training, such as weight lifting, along with regular cardiovascular exercise. He reminds, it is always advisable to consult your doctor before starting any type of exercise program.
Are you getting enough sleep to ensure the best health of your heart?
Getting a good night's sleep is important. But exactly how much sleep do you need? Recently, the American Heart Association added sleep to its checklist for improving and maintaining heart health. Dr. Regis Fernandes, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, explains how many hours of sleep people need for optimal heart health.
When it comes to sleep, it turns out that quantity is just as important as quality.
“The reason is that studies have shown that if you sleep less than seven hours a day, you have a higher cardiovascular risk or risk of heart disease or stroke,” says Dr. Fernandes.
Sleep was recently added to the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8, along with maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, staying physically active, e
ating a healthy diet, and controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar in the blood. Dr. Fernandes says there is an ideal number of hours your heart needs.
“The sweet spot is eight hours, minimum seven, maximum nine, but the sweet spot is right at eight,” says Dr. Fernandes.
That means eight hours of quality sleep.
“You should turn off the TV and mobile phones, make the room cool and dark and avoid alcohol,” advises Dr Fernandes.
Many people have trouble sleeping sometimes. However, if you experience persistent sleep problems, it may be related to a treatable sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea. Be sure to work with your healthcare team. Treatment can relieve symptoms and could help prevent heart problems and other complications.
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