Heart Smarts
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As you train longer and harder, you undergo some noticeable changes. But what’s going on beneath the surface? For certain athletes, it’s a phenomenon sometimes known as ‘athlete’s heart.’
Athlete’s heart refers to the fact that top athletes in aerobic sports (including swimming, cycling, and running) have bigger hearts—up to 40% larger, in some cases—than others. The heart can actually grow from intense aerobic training; the walls thicken, allowing a higher blood volume, improved stamina, and increased oxygen levels.
In 2005, the National Institute of Sports Medicine found support for the notion that the increased heart size was not harmful to national and internationally athletes. However, be advised that these were world-class athletes in the best condition of their lives; no one is exempt from visiting the cardiologist or other health professional.
Your heart can start to grow within the first four to six weeks of training. Your resting heart rate should go down, but be careful if it increases-that could be a warning sign of overtraining.
Here’s another relevant piece of information: doping drugs may be extra dangerous for athletes with enlarged hearts. Some drugs have blood-boosting agents like EPO in them. In combination with thickened blood cells of an athlete, they can lead to clots, strokes, and heart attacks. It’s not just smart to play clean. It’s heart smart, too!
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heart health
Great article! The comments are right-to-the-point as well. Heart disease is the number one killer in this country and more women than men do die from it, it just hits them later, after menopause when their estrogen levels fall (this is why I prescribe bioidentical hormones! the chance of the average woman dying of heart disease is 20 times her risk of breast cancer).
An athlete's heart may be larger but it probably beats more slowly, allowing more time between contractions for the heart cells to receive fresh oxygen and nutrients, and a trained vascular system tends to be more dilated in the face of exertion allowing the heart to pump with less effort. Both of these factors explain why its so important to do aerobic exercise.
I agree that doping is dangerous. I think it important to distinguish between doping (as with EPO) and synthetic anabolic steroids on one hand and doctor prescribed, bioidentical hormone replacment therapy on the other (including hgh or growth hormone to those deficient). Responsible, physiological hormone therapy is beneficial to those with heart disease or high blood pressure (and many other chronic diseases). I have treated many patients with these as well as vitamins and exercise and seen their heart disease reversed without the need for drugs or surgery.
Darren Clair, MD
Vibrance Health Services
WOW!!
More great Info, Thank You..........
Sean Forson ~ Aka "SUPERMAN"
Fit Trainer ~ Evolutions Fitness & Rehab Center
Tulare, Ca.
Very interesting!
I had no idea...i wonder if i have a big heart...I mean I do have a big heart...lol, but I'm not sure about the actual size...Did you know the leading killer in women in this country now is heart disease...scary...most people who eat well and exercise don't fall into that catagory, but still very scary to know. Perhaps I should have my heart checked just for the hell of it. Never hurts, right? Well, thanks for the info...good to know! xoxo
Rachelle
Heart disease is the #1
Heart disease is the #1 killer in America for the last few years running. It also continues to be the leading killer of women.
This is one area in which it should not be "ladies first." Check out http://www.goredforwomen.org/ for ways to be heart-healthy.
"If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you. I came to live out loud."
-Emile Zola