Too much exercise may harm your heart: Study

Hyderabad: Exercise covering 7.5 hours can increase the risk of heart diseases, especially if you are a white man, claims a recent study by the University of Illinois. 

The study states that high levels of exercise causes stress on the arteries leading to high coronary artery calcification (CAC).

Dr Sridhar Kasturi, a cardiologist, said, “It is healthy to do 30x to 40 minutes of exercise for five days. More exercise causes the release of more hormones which can affect the heart muscles. But the real problem arises when clots form due to too much exercise. When these clots rupture, the healing process leads to deposit of calcium.” 

Cholesterol and fat in the body combine with this calcium, causing plaque in the heart which narrows the arteries. 

Dr Rajesh Prasanth, a cardiologist, said, “CAC is generally considered a harbinger of a heart attack as the walls of the heart grow narrow with the same. Moderate exercise is better for the heart because the body will deploy excessive calcium to deal with injuries and soreness caused by excessive exercise.”

Dr Deepika Laddu, assistant professor of physical theraphy in UIC College who was a part of the study, said, “Higher levels of physical activity mean lower levels of CAC. However, the study shows a different level of risk in people with high level of physical activity. It can cause stress on arteries.”

The study looked at 3,175 black and white participants aged about 25 years and found that 86 per cent of increased risk for white men. While cardiologists said that there needs to be more research on how race is connected to the heart diseases.

“Indians are more prone to heart disease than Europeans. It is our genetic build and also our lifestyle that cause the same,” said Sridhar Kasturi.