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Press Release

Research suggests link between endurance exercise and heart damage

7 December 2011

Researchers have found evidence to suggest some athletes who take part in extreme endurance exercise may incur damage to the right ventricles of their hearts – one of the four chambers in the heart involved in pumping blood around the body.

The study looked at athletes training for events such as marathons, endurance triathlons, alpine cycling and ultra triathlons. In most of the 40 athletes studied, any damage was reversed within a week of competing. However, five of them (13%) showed evidence of more permanent damage, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing scarring of the heart muscle (known as fibrosis).

The health benefits of physical activity are well established

Doireann Maddock, our Senior Cardiac Nurse, said: “The findings from this very small study are interesting; however, it is much too early to draw any firm conclusions from it.

“It is important to remember that the health benefits of physical activity are well established. The highly trained athletes involved in this study were competing in long distance events and trained for more than ten hours a week.

“Further long term research will be necessary in order to determine if extreme endurance exercise can cause damage to the right ventricle of the heart in some athletes. Any endurance athletes who are concerned should discuss the matter with their GP.''

This study was published online in the European Heart Journal.



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