A new study from the University of Leeds says that years of intense endurance training could put male athletes over 50 at serious risk of heart rhythm problems, especially if they have undetected heart scarring.
Researchers followed 106 healthy men over the age of 50 who ran and rode bikes. They used wearable trackers and implantable heart monitors. Around 25% of people had episodes of ventricular tachycardia, a fast rhythm that can be dangerous to life, during or after exercise. 75% of those cases were linked to scarring of the heart muscle. Wasim Javed, the lead author, said that exercise only causes problems in people who already have scars, not because they are overtraining.
About 90% of sudden cardiac deaths that happen during exercise happen to men over 40, and they often don’t have any warning signs like dizziness or heart palpitations. Long-term high-intensity exercise, which is common among runners and cyclists, may damage heart muscle and raise the risk of arrhythmia during workouts. Even so, athletes with problems didn’t train any harder than their peers who didn’t have problems.
The American Heart Association says that doing something active for 30 minutes most days cuts the risk of heart disease and stroke. Experts at the Cleveland Clinic say that for most people, exercise makes their hearts stronger, improves their circulation, and improves their health in general. The study says that exercise is still “safe and very good” for you if you take the right steps.
Veteran endurance athletes should make sure to get yearly heart screenings, keep an eye on their symptoms, and wear devices that can detect irregular rhythms early. If you have a history of competitive sports, talk to your doctor about shortness of breath or heart palpitations.
