Strenuous Endurance Exercise and the Heart: Physiological versus Pathological Adaptations.

Abstract

Although the benefits of regular physical activity on cardiovascular health are well established, the effects of strenuous endurance exercise (SEE) have been a matter of debate since ancient times. In this article, we aim to provide a balanced overview of what is known about SEE and the heart-from epidemiological evidence to recent cardiac imaging findings. Lifelong SEE is overall cardioprotective, with endurance master athletes showing in fact a youthful heart. Yet, some lines of research remain open, such as the need to elucidate the time-course and potential relevance of transient declines in heart function (or increases in biomarkers of cardiac injury) with SEE. The underlying mechanisms and clinical relevance of SEE-associated atrial fibrillation, myocardial fibrosis, or high coronary artery calcium scores also remain to be elucidated. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12:1-19, 2022.

• Authors: Pedro L Valenzuela, Aaron Baggish, Adrián Castillo-García, Alejandro Santos-Lozano, Araceli Boraita, Alejandro Lucia
• Journal: Comprehensive Physiology (Compr Physiol) Vol. 12 Issue 4 Pg. 4067-4085 (08 11 2022) ISSN: 2040-4603 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 35950659 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2022 American Physiological Society. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adaptation, Physiological
• Arrhythmias, Cardiac
• Athletes
• Exercise (physiology)
• Heart
• Humans
• Physical Endurance (physiology)