Chronic, excessive, sustained endurance exercise may cause adverse structural remodeling of the heart and large arteries, a special review shows in the July/August 2012 issue of Missouri Medicine, the Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association.
The Special Review, authored by James H. O'Keefe, MD, the Missouri Medicine Preventive Health Editorial Board Member and Cardiologist at Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, et al., authoritatively outlines that while a daily routine of physical activity is highly beneficial in the prevention and treatment of many prevalent chronic diseases, especially of the cardiovascular (CV) system, chronic, excessive sustained endurance exercise may cause adverse structural remodeling of the heart and large arteries.
An evolving body of data indicates that chronically training for and participating in extreme endurance competitions such as marathons, ultra-marathons, Iron-man distance triathlons, very long distance bicycle racing, etc., can cause acute volume overload of the atria and ventricle. In veteran extreme endurance athletes, this recurrent myocardial injury and repair may eventually result in patchy myocardial fibrosis, which is abnormal thickening of the heart valves, potentially creating atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.
Furthermore, chronic, excessive, sustained, high-intensity endurance exercise may be associated with diastolic dysfunction, large-artery wall stiffening and coronary artery calcification. The review discusses the emerging understanding of the cardiac pathophysiology of extreme endurance exercise, and makes suggestions about healthier fitness patterns for promoting optimal CV health and longevity.
Read the full article online at http://www.msma.org/docs/communications/momed/Excessive_Endurance_Exercise_and_Heart_Disease_MOMED_JulyAug2012.pdf.
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