Published on: 17-May-2022
Any strenuous exercise, including performance athletics, raises the body’s oxygen demand. As a result, in particular, Endurance and elite athletes undergo unique adaptations, such as increased strength and size in their arm and leg muscles.
The heart, too, reacts. It’s the main engine that maintains the muscles supplied with oxygen-rich blood. As a result, the athlete’s heart changes over time due to regular, vigorous aerobic exertion, becoming stronger and larger with increased capacity.
But how can an athlete boost blood rate flow and meet the requirements of even more strenuous exercise if their maximal heart rate has already been reached? Well, many athletes don’t know about their heart functions and activities. In this article, we will be walking through 7 things every athlete is expected to know about their heart function.
Things Athletes Should Know About Their Heart Function
These facts are very important, and all athletes must have a sound understanding of them. These facts include:
The “Athlete’s Heart” is quite complicated
Athletes who engage four hours or more weekly may instigate exercise-induced remodeling of the cardiac, often known as athlete’s heart—a response often physiologic in which the heart grows more efficient and larger than average due to intensive exercise.
Is an athlete’s heart, however, dangerous? No, in the vast majority of cases.
It’s critical to distinguish between abnormal and normal heart muscle hypertrophy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, for example, is an abnormal hardness of the heart caused by a hereditary condition that affects one out of every 200 people. Because an excessively enlarged heart does not function as well as a healthy one, we use modern testing to distinguish between an athlete’s heart and a pathologic issue.
Keep an eye out for indicators of exhaustion, and reduce your heart’s workload.
Pay attention to how you feel in your body. Are your toes beginning to feel a little heavy? On some of those landings, are you not as balanced? Are your toes stomping harder on the ground? Any test or machine may not detect these indicators of exhaustion. “In some ways, a coach’s, a co- worker’s, or your own critical eye—if you really understand your own system—can be your best sign of weariness,” Walker adds.
This is something that professional athletes excel at. They can tell when their legs are popping and when they aren’t. If you’re exhausted, stop; it’s preferable to get the rest you need than to injure yourself.
Athletes are susceptible to high blood pressure.
Over an extended period, intense exercise reduces the risk of disease-related to the cardiovascular system. Hypertension and excessive cholesterol are inherited components of cardiovascular disease. Even the fittest athlete might be affected by both. Over a long time, intense exercise reduces the risk of disease related to the cardiovascular system.
According to current U.S. hypertension guidelines, ⅓ of competitive athletes met the threshold for increased blood pressure in one study. You can check one of the resources here for more details on hypertension statistics. In addition, male athletes and athletes with a high body mass index were at a higher risk of high blood pressure.
However, it’s unclear if the high BMI was due to the athlete’s musculature or excess fat.
Raised blood pressure has been proven to change the anatomy and function of the heart in even younger athletes, indicating risk of elevated blood pressure has been present for some time.
The Age of an Athlete Has an Impact on Heart Health
Regardless of how powerful their hearts are, athletes are naturally prone to developing cardiovascular disease as they age. An active lifestyle and fitness can assist, but they won’t completely protect you.
Vigilance is required once more. Aside from visiting a physician for regular checkups, frequent blood work, and screenings, the experienced athlete must seek medical assistance as soon as possible if any of the following warning symptoms appear:
- A sudden drop in performance—for example, a cyclist slips behind regular times or a runner who can’t keep up with the rest of the squad.
- Experiencing more exhaustion than usual
- shortness of athlete’s breath during or after a workout.
- There is a burning sensation in the chest or upper abdomen, particularly in athletes who have never had gastrointestinal or heartburn problems.
The problem could be as simple as dyspepsia, joint soreness, dehydration, or overtraining. Consultation with a medical practitioner, on the other hand, is far safer for the aging athlete than denial or avoidance.
Symptoms May Or May Not Exist.
Athlete death or cardiac arrest is a tragic event. These deaths have caused consternation because being a veteran athlete is supposed to be associated with good immunity and health to cardiovascular disease.
Unfortunately, while regular workout has been proven to alleviate cardiovascular longevity and health, it does not guarantee total immunity.
Every high-performance athlete should see a professional with knowledge and have check-ups regularly. Those who have concerns or dangers should consult a cardiologist familiar with the physiology of exercise and the heart demands of sports.
COVID-19 Could Have an Effect on an Athlete’s Heart
Most medical problems triggered by the pandemic – COVID-19 are due to a strong inflammatory reaction. Evidence from hospitalized patients suggests that up to 30% of COVID-19 patients will develop heart complications: inflammation or myocarditis of the heart muscle.
With time, we’ll learn more. Thousands more healed athletes are being monitored through cardiovascular testing. This will help us learn more about COVID-19’s impact on athletes.
Exercise that is both effective and safe for everyone
Although vigorous exercise may increase the risk of heart disease in certain people, it’s vital to keep this in mind.
According to very credible evidence accumulated over years, exercising regularly is one of the greatest things we can do for healthy living. It helps people live longer by lowering their risk of disease related to the cardiovascular system. According to research, it can also alleviate mental health and prevent cancer and other ailments.
There’s so much to learn about an athlete’s health, but for sure, this is a good head-start.
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