A new study reports that one in 20 people could be exercising too much, increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
Although there is strong evidence supporting that regular exercise is important for heart health after suffering from a cardiovascular disease, this study suggests that too much exercise can have negative effects.
The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings by Paul T. Williams, PhD, and Paul D. Thompson, MD, showed that those heart attack survivors who exercise too much are increasing their risk of cardiovascular death.
The general guidelines recommended for Americans is 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. However, the research indicated that anything over that for those who have survived a cardiovascular event could be dangerous.
"Results suggest that the benefits of running or walking do not accrue indefinitely and that above some level, perhaps 30 miles per week of running, there is a significant increase in risk. Competitive running events also appear to increase the risk of an acute event," says Williams and Thompson.
The researchers studied over 2,000 heart attack survivors that were physically active. They measured these participants' exercise routines, generally focusing on walking and/or running. Those who were running less than 30 miles per week or walking less than 46 miles per week saw a decrease in cardiovascular deaths of 65 percent. However, hours spent exercising beyond that, saw more deaths.
Although this study only looked at heart attack survivors, its findings could be applied to the general population. Exercising too much is sometimes the sign of a more serious problem, including mental health issues related with eating disorders, resulting in an addiction to exercise.
"Over exercising interferes with their quality of life because they devote so much of their time to exercise to the exclusion of anything else," says Theresa Fassihi, Ph.D. "Their time is not available for socializing, relationships or work. It is all consuming."
For others, over-exercising may happen when training for a competitive event or due to an obsession with being "fit." Too much exercise puts strain on the body and can result in an elevated resting heart rate, stress fractures and a compromised immune system. Chronic inflammation from over-exercise can cause even more damage that can result in diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
As with most everything else in life, moderation is important.
