Over-exercising 'could scar heart'

[TRANSWARP]

Too much exercise can scar the heart and increase the risk of sudden death, experts claim.

Research shows that extreme endurance sports such as marathons, triathlons and long-distance bicycle races can cause structural changes to the heart and large arteries.

Usually recovery occurs within a week. But for some individuals, repetitive injury over months and years of training and competition can lead to patches of fibrosis, or scarring, in the heart, say scientists. This can lead to an increased likelihood of potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythms.

Dr James O'Keefe, from Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, US, who led a review of the evidence, said: "Physical exercise, though not a drug, possesses many traits of a powerful pharmacologic agent. A routine of daily physical activity can be highly effective for prevention and treatment of many diseases, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart failure, and obesity.

"However, as with any pharmacologic agent, a safe upper-dose limit potentially exists, beyond which the adverse effects of physical exercise, such as musculoskeletal trauma and cardiovascular stress, may outweigh its benefits." The research is published in the June issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Endurance sports such as ultramarathon running or professional cycling have been associated with as much as a five-fold increased risk of atrial fibrillation, one kind of abnormal heart rhythm, say the scientists.

Excessive sustained exercise may also be linked to coronary artery calcification, and dysfunctional and stiffened large arteries.

One study showed that around 12% of apparently healthy marathon runners had signs of heart scarring. Their chances of suffering a heart-disease event was also significantly higher than average.

A famous victim of excess exercise may have been legendary US ultramarathon runner Micah True who died suddenly while on a routine 12-mile training run on March 27, it is claimed.

True, nicknamed Caballo Blanco (Spanish for "white horse"), would run as much as 100 miles in one day. After death at 58, his heart was found to be enlarged and scarred. He died from a lethal heart rhythm irregularity.



http://news.uk.msn.com/health/over-e...d-scar-heart-1


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Sorry to post this but is this news just scaremongering or do you think its valid, I get paranoid reading **** like this so need reassurance.

[mehoe]

Could be valid with exercise enlarging the arteries , capillaries, veins for easier transport of nutrients, oxygen etc.. But the main thing to focus on is that it is EXTREME amounts of exercise. 100 miles in a day is more than any boxer would ever want to consider, let alone much more than anyone would even think of trying to achieve. Regular exercise is good for you, you'll be fine. If your really worried talk to your physician, since they will be more educated on the topic than most.

[Del Coqui]

Power lifting is more dangerous.

[Rockin']

the doctor said that over exertion was his only hypothosis on why i had a stroke at age 37, specificaly over exertion from a young age.

[Sugarj]

the doctor said that over exertion was his only hypothosis on why i had a stroke at age 37, specificaly over exertion from a young age.

That is very sad to hear. But you would still be very much in a minority.

For example, how many professional athletes per head of population do we hear of having strokes in their late 30s? Lets face it, they will have trained harder than yourself. Overexertion is hard to quantify from one person to another.