Doing too much sport is dangerous for your health cardiovascular. The hearts of athletes are in fact more fragile than those who perform regular but moderate physical activity. A real paradox for sports professionals.
The news comes directly from a study by the Department of Cardiology of the University Hospitals of Leuven in Belgium. You can read the results in the scientific journal European Heart Journal.
The study that demonstrated that fExercising too much is dangerous for your health cardiovascular
The researchers analyzed data from 382 athletes and former athletes an average age of 55 years. The youngest was 45, the oldest was 70. All of them had been running or cycling for more than 6-8 hours a week for a long time.
At the same time, the working group put it under a magnifying glass peers who carried out less intense but regular physical activity. All participants had no cardiovascular problems at the start of the study and the experts subjected them to a coronary CT scan to evaluate the presence and extent of coronary plaques.
The results of the Belgian research
Surprisingly the coronary condition of those who carried out intense physical exercise was significantly worsecompared to those who engage in more moderate, albeit regular, physical exercise.
The average presence of coronary plaques in athletes was more than 80% higher compared to the other. Also regarding fertility rates another research had stated that those who do too much sport put the health of their sperm at risk.
Why is doing too much sport dangerous for cardiovascular health?
We know for sure that physical activity reduces inflammation levelswhich are the ideal habitat for the development of plaques, as well as increasing the risk of other cardiovascular events. If the plaques are numerous then reducing inflammation is a preventive and protective act.
Athletes engage in long-term competitions and training. Their coronarieswhich are the arteries that directly carry blood to the heart, they are wider than average as their ability to expand is greater. The consequence is that the plaques are smaller and less dangerous.
There’s an age for everything
Another fact that could have influenced the results is the average age of the participants, which was 55 years. The age it is one of the main risk factors for heart health. It is clear that practicing intense physical activity after the age of 50 is not the same as practicing it in your twenties.
In fact, it risks being counterproductive for the heart and for the entire organism. In short to have a fit heart you need to pay attention to your diet and carry out regular but moderate physical activity. The guidelines of the main research centers suggest practicing 150 minutes per week of moderate and regular physical activity.