Did you ever think you’d see the day that doctors would be claiming too much exercise may actually kill you? Well, that day has come.
According to doctors in the US, too much exercise can put excess strain on the heart and cause abnormal rhythms. However, if you’re getting a bit worried that your daily 30 minute bike ride is slowly killing you off then relax. Apparently, those who are most at risk are extreme endurance athletes who compete regularly in marathons, triathlons and other long-distance races.
These long distance events such as the Ironman Triathlon put massive stresses on the heart which it’s simply not designed to take. Taking part in such high-endurance events can actually alter the structure of the heart and the larger arteries which is pretty scary stuff we think you’ll agree.
Dr James O’Keefe, of Kansas City, said: “Exercise can be highly effective in both the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including coronary heart disease and obesity.
“However, a safe upper-dose limit potentially exists, beyond which the adverse effects of physical exercise, outweigh the benefits.”
So what they’re saying is that you actually can exercise too much.
With the Tour de France only around the piste, it’s a tad shocking to hear that previous studies have shown professional cyclists are five times more likely to have abnormal heart rhythms compared to the average Joe Soap.
So remember that the next time you plan on running a marathon a day for a whole year.
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