Key result
Excessive endurance exercise may cause structural and functional cardiac remodeling that could serve as a substrate for arrhythmias, though sudden cardiac death is usually linked to underlying pathology.
Why the study?
Does excessive exercise result in harm (cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death) in ultra-athletes and marathoners?
Does excessive exercise result in harm (cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death) in ultra-athletes and marathoners?
While habitual exercise is beneficial, excessive endurance exercise may induce cardiac remodeling that increases the risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in susceptible individuals.
Raises caution for excessive endurance exercise; leaves open optimal dosing thresholds in athletes.
The cardiovascular benefits of habitual exercise are well documented. In the current era, more of the population is exceeding the recommendations for physical activity as the popularity of endurance events increases. Recent data have proposed a U-shaped relationship between exercise intensity and cardiovascular outcomes. Regular participation in endurance activities has been shown to result in structural and functional changes in the heart. This re-modelling may be the substrate for cardiac dysfunction or arrhythmias. The risk of sudden cardiac death may also be elevated; however, in most cases of sudden cardiac death, the cause can be linked to an underlying cardiac pathology where exercise acted as the trigger for a lethal arrhythmia. This article serves to review whether excessive exercise may result in harm in some athletes.
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Cunningham et al. (2017) conducted a review in Cardiovascular outcomes in ultra-athletes and marathoners. Excessive exercise / endurance activities was evaluated. Excessive endurance exercise may cause structural and functional cardiac remodeling that could serve as a substrate for arrhythmias, though sudden cardiac death is usually linked to underlying pathology.
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