here are the checks to do to avoid taking risks

Doing sports after the age of 50: does something change? In the year of Covid we remembered how much the‘age constitute a real health risk factor: the danger cardiovascular increases, triglycerides, cholesterol and blood sugar they can make themselves heard more and so one can ask oneself if, after all, it is no less dangerous for health to sit in an armchair than to go for a run. But is it really so? “It is certainly good to distinguish between those who have always done it sport in their own life, and maybe decide to carve out more time to train and run at high altitude or in the desert, and those who have never practiced sport in their life “, Official Active Dr. Alberto Maria Lanzone, cardiologist and sports doctor, head of the Cardiology Unit of the San Rocco Clinical Institute in Brescia.

Sport over 50: age as a risk factor –

Surely theage affects the level of risk: “Those who have always been an athlete are more likely to have acquired discretionary risk factors, such as overweight or obesity or smoking, but some age-related risk factors can manifest themselves. I refer tohypertension, al diabetes and tohypercholesterolemia, for example, which are also linked to family predisposition. Certainly, then, these risks increase in those who, on the other hand, have not led a sporting life, perhaps are overweight or heavy smokers ”, explains Dr. Lanzone.

What tests to do before playing sports after 50 –

Precisely for these reasons it is even more important to undergo adequate medical checks before starting to do it sports after a certain age. “In the case of over 50s who play sports with a high cardiovascular commitment, I recommend that they undergo one Coronary CT angiography, a sort of non-invasive coronary angiography, which has a very high negative predictive value: if the coronaries are healthy, free and clean, the risk of heart attack is almost absent. With this exam, today we can give peace of mind to those who want to do sports in extreme conditions (such as Desert Marathon or Skyrunning or Haute Route Dolomiti etc), or with high cardiovascular commitment (such as Triathlon) ”, explains the cardiologist. But even in the case of sports with a minor impact, such as a simple run, a medical check-up is important: “You must undergo not only a medical-sports visit, but also to a electrocardiogram under stress“.

Sport and overweight –

If the tests do not show any anomalies, you can play sport peacefully, remembering however that not all sports are the same, especially if you are overweight … “If a person is overweight it will be good for him to avoid corsa, which causes joint overload in the hips, knees, ankles and back. Much better aerobic sports like swimming, rowing, cycling or Nordic walking, which do not create general joint overload. But it is good to remember that being overweight is not cured so much with physical activity as with it dietPhysical activity is only useful once weight loss has been triggered. As long as you have weight problems, even a lighter sport like the golf it can go well: it allows you to spend many hours in the open air, walking, but without a major impact on the joint level “.

The best sports for cardiovascular prevention after the age of 50 –

In the case of athletes over 50 without weight problems (or previous joint problems), the choice of sport useful for cardiovascular prevention is also wider: “As long as it is a continuous physical activity, everything aerobic is useful: even long walks in the air open or a simple jogging, without running, or cycling, tennis, Nordic walking, cross-country skiing. But the most complete cardiovascular sports for the over 50s are the swimming and rowing, that allow an aerobic development and, at the same time, an important muscle strengthening ”, suggests Dr. Lanzone.

September 30, 2021 (change September 30, 2021 | 11:46)

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