CAC, which is measured using CT scans, indicates that calcium-containing plaques are present in the arteries of the heart — a predictor of heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), slightly more than half of U.S. adults met the guidelines for aerobic activity. This thread is archived. “While there is evidence that prolonged strenuous exercise can increase risk of atrial fibrillation, the long-term risk of this is small compared to inactivity,” says Dr. Singh. The authors of the current study wrote that although extreme exercisers may have higher amounts of CAC, wider arteries mean that this “may not necessarily translate into adverse clinical outcomes.”. Research is actually showing a dark side to too much cardio. For those devoted exercisers who love to push themselves beyond these limits, this study is even more reason to put extra effort into taking care of your heart. Click here to learn how to protect your body. However, a line has to be drawn since too much of anything can be bad. If you notice your resting heart (taken first thing in the morning before you get out of bed or drink coffee) continues to creep up over the course of four or five days, you may need to back off mileage or intensity or take an extra recovery day, Arent says. The research is mixed on what is best. The study included almost 3,200 people. The Million Women Study found that women who did strenuous activity daily had a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, or a blood clot breaking free in the blood, compared to moderate exercisers. As a former marathon runner, I know the pains associated with endurance training. One of these studies was published October 16 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. All Rights Reserved. However, can too much of that determination and grit hurt your heart? This includes eating a healthy diet, giving up smoking, and learning to manage your stress with practices like yoga, meditation, and mindfulness training. However, not all research points to extreme exercise being bad for your health. Whether you run on an empty stomach or have a snack beforehand is really up to you. Chronic extreme exercise training and competing in endurance events can lead to heart damage and rhythm disorders. People who exercised less than the recommended amounts were more likely to have high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes in middle age. The metabolic rate slows down, while your resting heart rate becomes unusually low. In the Copenhagen City Heart Study, moderate joggers had a threefold increased risk of dying early, compared to light joggers. Exactly how much cardio is too much also depends on your training goal. Moderate exercise is still best for physical, mental health. Here’s Tips on How and When to Exercise That Can Help, The Pros and Cons of Running on an Empty Stomach. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Over time, high amounts of salt, sugar, saturated fat, and refined carbs raise your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Cardiovascular exercise puts stress on our hearts. However, your body also has a finite capacity to deal with stress of any sort. The rest of us should pay attention to symptoms such as unusual fatigue, shortness of breath or chest pain during exercise, he said, but are much more likely to strengthen our hearts with exercise than harm them. This group had an 80 percent higher risk of developing CAC. People who exercised three times the recommended amount — or the equivalent of 450 minutes a week of moderate activity — had a 27 percent higher risk of developing CAC during the study period, compared to those who exercised the least. Pretty much every doctor and health researcher agrees: Running and other forms of cardio exercise are great for your overall health. share. But extreme athletes can push it past healthy limits and cause heart damage. Over time, it gets harder and harder to lose fat. Cleveland Clinic © 1995-2020. A moderate amount helps strengthen our heart muscle, but too much cardio can actually weaken it. If you're worried you've been hitting the gym a little too hard, read on for 10 signs that you need to cool it on the cardio. And only one-fifth met the guidelines for both aerobic and strengthening activities. This is probably because the other groups had too few participants. How Much Cardio Is Really Good for Your Heart? Recently, more studies have started to look at the other end of the exercise spectrum to see if more is always better. At the risk of encouraging you to binge-watch on the couch a little longer, too much exercise may be bad for your heart, say researchers in a new study. Moderate exercise a few days a week is good for your health, but new research shows that more may not always be better. at work or in relationships) and your body will not be able to cope. Unlike weekend warriors, brisk walkers or even enthusiastic joggers, extreme athletes regularly live up to their name, pushing the limits of their physical capabilities. Some researchers have found evidence that too much cardio might actually be a bad thing, but not all researchers agree. Researchers found that people who exercised well over the national physical activity guidelines for many years were more likely to develop coronary artery calcification (CAC) by middle age. In a Swedish study of almost 74,000 non-elite long-distance cross-country skiers, those who had finished more races had a lower risk of dying early. In the worst case scenario, it can even lead to your death! 2 comments. Statistically, though, the results based on race and gender were only significant for white men. What Heart Patients Need to Know About COVID-19. When it comes to boosting your heart health, you can’t do much better than cardio. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Research is actually showing a dark side to too much cardio. When you train yourself too much without resting or allowing your body to recover, you are not training but only straining your body. “Extreme, long-term endurance exercise puts equally extreme demands on the cardiovascular system,” says Dr. Singh. BAD SIDE OF FASTED CARDIO. For the general public, the American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. I was doing way too much cardio. Here’s what you need to know. They run 50 miles or more or repeat marathons in rapid succession, regularly pushing past exhaustion, dehydration and pain that would sideline or hospitalize many people. If it was, we wouldn’t do 12 Minute Athlete workouts here! And how do you know how much is too much? But is it real? Exercise and even strenuous exercise is associated with enormous heart health benefits in the vast majority of people when compared with people who don’t exercise. For instance, in a large-scale 2015 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, light and moderate joggers were less likely than non-runners to die during the study’s two-year follow-up, while strenuous joggers had the same mortality rate as sedentary folks. If a close family member has died unexpectedly of heart problems, talk to your doctor about whether you need to be tested for conditions such as atherosclerosis or cardiomyopathy. Marathon runners are a good example of this. Moderate-intensity activities include walking, hiking, golfing, home exercises, and gardening. The study also reinforced the benefits of regularly meeting the physical activity guidelines. Should You Cancel Your Holiday Gatherings This Year Because of COVID? Well, here is a new controversy: too much “cardio” can damage the heart. I cardio-ed my little heart out, and there was a time when I was going an hour + of cardio, almost every day of the week. All to answer the question: What’s the minimum amount of physical activity that you need each week to live a longer and healthier life? “However, this plaque buildup may well be of the more stable kind, and thus less likely to rupture and causes heart attack, which was not evaluated in this study.”. What is a “Pain Cave” and How Do You Power Through It in a Workout or Race? People with genetic risk factors are especially vulnerable. Because, far from making you healthier and fitter, excessive cardio can have severe adverse effects on your body. “High levels of exercise over time may cause stress on the arteries leading to higher CAC,” Dr. Jamal Rana, a study author, said in a press release. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Moreover, research found evidence that high intensity exercise can acutely increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death in individuals with underlying cardiac disease.This can also increase the risk of heart rhythm disorders, especially for the minority who have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or coronary heart disease. We often think of cardio exercise as being only beneficial for our heart and entire cardiovascular system. Chronic Cardio Can Put Stress on Your Heart We often think of cardio exercise as being only beneficial for our heart and entire cardiovascular system. At the risk of encouraging you to binge-watch on the couch a little longer, too much exercise may be bad for your heart, say researchers in a new study. With fast paced cardio exercises deal with stress of any sort your training goal ai n't for everyone whether! Through it in a very small minority who have underlying problems, overtraining, and strenuous sports determination and hurt. 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