James O'Keefe MD — Cardiovascular Damage From Extreme Endurance Exercise

preview_player
Показать описание
James O'Keefe, M.D. presenting at the 2nd Annual Ancestral Health Symposium 2012 (AHS12).

Cardiovascular Damage From Extreme Endurance Exercise

Abstract:
Although a daily routine of physical activity confers remarkable benefits for quality and quantity of life, prolonged continuous high-intensity exercise can 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 (marathons, ultra-marathons, Iron-man distance triathlons, etc.) can cause acute volume overload of the atria and right ventricle, with transient reductions in right ventricular function and elevations of cardiac biomarkers, all of which generally return to normal within 7 to 10 days.
In veteran extreme endurance athletes, this recurrent myocardial injury and repair may eventually result in patchy myocardial fibrosis, particularly in the atria, and right ventricle, creating a substrate for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.
Furthermore, chronic, extreme endurance exercise may be associated with accelerated aging in the heart and coronary arteries. This presentation will discuss the cardiac pathophysiology of extreme endurance exercise, and make suggestions about better fitness patterns for conferring optimal health and longevity.
Рекомендации по теме
Комментарии
Автор

Finally a heart doctor with common sense.

Geopholus
Автор

Could not have expressed this better myself. Excellent job!

Orvellrednbacer
Автор

What a great presentation. I agree, it makes a lot of sense. I will definitely be sharing this. So informative!

TurboValecia
Автор

I'm a 15 year running veteran, running journalist and high school cross country coach. In recent years I've had--and expressed--grave misgivings about the media-driven, ultramarathon TREND, irresponsibly encouraging ultra tourism among the recreational runner putting in 20-30 miles a week. This isn't to say, "don't run, " but learn to enjoy the 5 and 10ks again, people...they are far better for you and the training needed for them is actually sustainable for a person with a normal, healthy life/running balance. Enjoy short and fast again instead of compensating for your lack or loss of speed by going farther and farther. At 50 I run 30 miles a week to race relatively fast. Even this is beyond O'Keefe's prescription but I can comfortably manage it. Your Zen run is your everyday run, not these 8 hour long Brahmin-like sufferfests to find cardio enlightenment through pushing your body and brain to a near-death experience. Is your uber-cool, image worth all of that? And is any of that sustainable over the long haul? Most ultra tourists will burn out within a few years and never touch running again. And that's a shame; in moderation it is very good for you.

christopherwhite
Автор

This presentation was great, and it makes a lot of sense. If you really think about it, if very high volumes of exercise where the magic elixir for health, then professional athletes, who spend nearly 8 hours a day in some sort of training, should technically be the healthiest people in their old age, and should have the greatest longevity. Instead they seem to suffer chronic disease as much as sedentary people, if not more so.

alphacause
Автор

Great job! More people need to see this.

johnmitchell
Автор

Two important questions I have after watching this:

1- How does bouts of maximum intensity interval sprints compare to marathons?

2- Was nutrition taken into account at all for these studies on marathoners? We know there are some key nutrients for heart health such as omega 3’s and selenium, if not what kind of impact could this have?

Thekiko
Автор

I’m here for good time, not a long time!! Wooohhoooo!!!

philipmemm
Автор

Jerry West who is doing ads for a blood thinner said that he and many other athletes suffer from arrhythmias.

quakerlyster
Автор

Questions I would have asked having the chance:

1. Atrial fibrillation is a common finding in endurance athletes. It is considered to be caused by increased vagotonus resulting in slow to extremely slow heart rates at the rest. Which is when palpitations occur in those cases. If his N.Orleans friend has to take antiarrhythmic drugs just so he can go for a jog, it doesn't really sound like that kind of "neurogenic" AF typical for endurance athletes.

2. Myocardial damage from extreme prolonged exercise has nothing to do with athesclerotic coronary changes. Those vascular changes should actually prevent a person from exercising at the level leading to that kind of myocardial damage. They certainly can result in heart attacks and other ischemic complications but not in cardiomyopathies. What is the explanation on the stated claim that endurance athletes' arteries are in worse shape than those of sedentary population? This does not seem to resonate with commonly accepted facts.

seahog
Автор

Aerobic exercise is not what the human body was designed for. We are anaerobic creatures. Life is anaerobic: climbing, carrying objects, running fast from attackers or to chase things, jumping, using manual tools, etc. To train aerobically for extended periods is to exhaust the body's vital resources. Exercise should always built the body up, not tear it down. Stop the madness.

blaneedwards
Автор

I wonder how increased carb consumption plays into this. And eating while running etc.

anomynus
Автор

Natural bodybuilding done with good form is the best exercise for the human body.

Tallmark
Автор

What about people like myself who have POTS and have a high heart rate just from standing upright? Is that damaging to the heart as well?

Jewlzever
Автор

Most all endurance athletes eat a high carb diet and slam gels etc when training and racing. How much of the increased calcification of the Coronary Arteries? Also can you speculate the effect of high carb diet while doing endurance exercise on myocardial fibrosis? Thanks

rogerjohnson
Автор

The bottom line is to train smart and listen to your body. Eat healthy, rest and recuperate.

binslick
Автор

HIIT is the way to go. If you like running, pursue a fast mile goal (a sub-6 minute mile or even 5 minute mile) Do lots of 400m and 800m training. Do just a few very low intensity long runs at 8 minute mile or less. It's much healthier.

martinirving
Автор

What about doing long workouts below the aerobic thresold of the heart rate zones? Zone 1 and zone 2? That is like walking uphill and running with the mouth shut when flat and downhill. Is it dangerous too?

reslas
Автор

TLDR; 'Diminishing Returns'

Challenge
Автор

Listen to 6:07 - "Under no circumstances would we have to run 26 miles at a time, not in our paleolithic ancestry". What about ancient endurance (persistence) hunting?

ellioycoder