People often think that if you exercise a lot over a long time, especially if you do hard workouts like running ultramarathons, you will protect your heart. But a recent study called Master@Heart suggests this might not always be the case.
Researchers found that folks who have been doing endurance exercises their whole life actually had more gunk built up in their arteries, compared to folks who are fit and healthy but don’t do extreme exercise. This build-up, called plaques, can increase the risk of heart disease. And it didn’t matter what type of plaque it was; all types seemed to be more common in the long-term exercisers.
This surprising discovery was presented at a big meeting of heart doctors in March 2023, called the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session/World Congress of Cardiology. The study was also published online in a reputable medical journal called the European Heart Journal.
Ruben De Bosscher, the lead researcher from Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, summed up the findings by saying that the study consistently found more plaque in the arteries of those who’ve been doing endurance exercises their whole life, no matter the type of plaque. “The study does nicely illustrate that exercise does not make you immune from heart disease. There is increasing evidence that there may be a point of diminished returns ― and at a certain point, an increased cardiovascular risk is seen in endurance athletes.”
The Masters@Heart study serves as a reminder that the path to health doesn’t always follow the law of ‘more is better’. It underscores the need for a balanced approach, where we respect the boundaries of our bodies, understanding that pushing those limits too far may have repercussions that contradict our original intent. More exercise is not necessarily better, just as more water does not necessarily equate to optimal hydration (hyponatremia, a condition characterized by low sodium levels in the blood, is a concern among endurance athletes. It typically occurs when athletes, afraid of dehydration, consume excessive amounts of fluids leading to dilution of sodium in their bodies. In severe cases, overhydration can be life-threatening).
Sometimes, less is indeed more.
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