Dr. Mercola May 31 2008 84,638 views
Exercise can cause structural changes in the heart -- and the changes can vary depending on the type of exercise.
Researchers found that endurance athletes showed an increase in the size of both their left and right ventricles after 90 days of team training. However, athletes who only did strength training had excessive growth in their left ventricles, but no change at all in their right ventricle size.
In addition, the ability of the left ventricle to fully relax between beats (diastolic function) was enhanced in the endurance athletes, but it worsened in the strength trainers.
It is possible that this could point the way towards tailored recommendations for rehabilitation and recreational exercise for people with heart problems.
This is an interesting study in that it shows how various types of exercise affect the structure of your heart in different ways.
It also shows that you’re not necessarily “born” to be a good athlete because you were born with a bigger or stronger heart, but that it’s the type of training you choose that has the most influence on your performance by building an “athletic heart.”
Athletes are Built Not BornIn this study, the endurance group consisted of long-distance rowers, whose exercise regimen consisted of daily running, cycling, swimming, rowing or using an aerobic machine with sustained effort for at least 20 minutes a day.
The strength training group was American-style football players doing weight lifting, plyometric exercises (explosive movements to develop muscular power) and sprint running drills.
After three months of organized team training, they found there were significant training-specific changes in the athletes’ heart structure and function.
While left ventricle mass increased in both groups, the endurance athletes had better diastolic function in their left ventricle, and enlargement and more efficient contraction and relaxation in both sides of the lower chambers of the heart (atria).
The strength-trained athletes, on the other hand, actually had hypertrophy, or excessive growth, in the muscle of the left ventricle, and reduced diastolic function, with no other structural changes.
Is Your Exercise Prescription Up to Date?
For a change, I agree with the idea to use this type of research to influence and fine-tune your “exercise prescription.” Exercise is a critical component of good health, especially as you age, and a good way of looking at it is to view it as a drug that needs to be precisely prescribed for maximum benefit.
Most Americans suffer from an “exercise deficiency,” which contributes to two-thirds of the U.S. population being overweight, and tens of millions of others with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes; all of whom desperately need more exercise to control their underlying condition.
Exercise is simply one of the most powerful tools available to drop your insulin levels, and elevated insulin levels are one of the primary drivers for these types of illnesses and weight gain. It is my belief that properly performed exercise is far more powerful for controlling these symptoms than any drug yet developed.
What Type of Exercise Regimen Do YOU Need?
A TRULY effective, well-rounded exercise program must involve all three types of exercise, taking into account exercise intensity and duration for your individual fitness level and goals:
Interval training -- where you break your exercise session into segments with a rest period in-between -- has been proven especially effective at burning greater amounts of fat than one single hour-long session. Newer studies on the specific benefits of interval training also suggest that it may actually provide MORE protection against heart attacks than long durational aerobic type exercises. So, I wouldn’t trade in interval training for endurance-style training only.
Even though it wasn’t mentioned or included in the study above, high-intensity interval exercises have been shown to DOUBLE the endurance in 75 percent of test subjects, compared to those who did traditional endurance training only! (So just imagine the benefits of interval training compared to doing nothing but pumping iron.)
My personal experience would support that as I have been a long distance runner for the last 40 years, and my heart is so large I have left ventricular hypertrophy on EKG and chest X ray evaluation. This is not pathological in my case but a healthy response to exercise.
I now incorporate interval training in the form of sprints, and strength training through pull-ups, push-ups and dips, rounded out with a game of singles tennis whenever I can. Tennis has become one of my passions. I’m now taking lessons twice a week, working my way up to a 3.5 player, and hope to be a 4.0 someday. It’s just great fun; something I look forward to each week.
Avoid This Common Pitfall When Starting a New Exercise Routine
Now, if you are overweight or out of shape, you can start with walking. Most heavy people start with walking and it’s an excellent choice, as it is low-risk and inexpensive.
The major problem with walking, however, is that many people become fit relatively rapidly but don't increase the intensity of the workouts as they become more fit.
Remember that once you become comfortable with your routine, you need to increase the intensity in order to continue reaping the benefits.
Push the intensity of your workouts so you are going just hard enough to where it’s difficult to carry on a conversation with someone next to you. If you can easily talk to someone you simply are not going hard enough to give your body the benefits it needs. An additional benefit of this technique is that you don’t need to monitor your heart rate to make sure you’re exercising at peak intensity.
Remember to Listen to Your Body
One of the key principles I teach and believe in is to listen to your body.
If your body will not allow you to exercise, either due to pain or worsening of your underlying condition, then you have no practical option but to honor your body’s signals and exercise less or not at all.
Even though your body desperately needs the exercise to improve, you will only get worse if you violate your current limitations. So you may have to start with as little as just minutes a day. That’s okay.
Apply the Take Control of Your Health Program and as your body gradually improves so will your tolerance to exercise, so continue to push yourself until you reach the daily 90-minute level.
Need Inspiration? Remember All the Benefits!
Even if you have no aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, the benefits of even small amounts of exercise are far too valuable to ignore. Aside from developing a stronger “athletic heart,” exercise will also help you:
Do You Need Help Getting Motivated?
If you are having trouble motivating yourself to exercise, the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can help. EFT is a form of psychological acupuncture treatment I recommend in order to optimize your emotional health.
It can help you remove the mental or emotional blocks that prevent you from successfully implementing your program. You can learn the technique with my free manual and discover more about the connection between your emotional well-being and your overall health.
You can also combine EFT with Medical Hypnosis to create an unconscious desire to exercise every day. This is session six on the hypnosis program I recommend for long term weight loss.
In this day of higher gas prices and out-of-control obesity, I have a suggestion for intensity training. Buy a reel mower! You know, the manual kind that they used on the Astro Turf on the Brady Bunch TV show. I ordered one through Amazon.com for around $100 and got it this past week. It's wonderful! Not only am I helping my body to get back in shape, I'm saving money on gas as well.
You have to start and stop somewhat frequently to keep the grass from getting clogged up in the blades. The bending down here and there to move sticks and to remove the built-up grass gives your arms and legs a rest from pushing and works out some different muscles. I'm going to have some seriously strong arms and legs by the end of this summer!
My husband poo-pooed my idea for one of these, but he's been enjoying using it as well. :-)
In my first sentence above, it should have said "interval" training, not "intensity" training. Using the reel mower is an interval exercise because of all of the starts and stops, but it gives you a real workout as well.
There's a lot more science, testing, experience and proven results behind Dr. Sears program than I've seen behind any other.
aemit says mentions that they did not lose weight but I believe in the same sentence they also admit that they did not read or did not understand in Dr' Sears book that it's about body composition and amount of fat and muscle, not about "weight".
Aaltrude, BMI is an antiquated concept dating back to the 1800's. It's misleading and completely inaccurate and Dr. Sears expounds on why in his PACE book.
Uh-oh. Let me explain then. I don't really care about the BMI as yes, it is outdated. But, I used to be 45kg for several years and that was great although people around me did keep saying that I'm too thin. Well, maybe I was but I felt great with that weight. Unfortunately I started getting fatter and fatter in the past two years and the PACE did not help and well, I would not care so much about the weight gain itself but I do not feel good! It is a strain to carry all that extra weight, even as it is "only" 10kg. I'm now about 55 kgs. Now if the body is used to carry 45kgs for years and then suddenly has to deal with 55, then it is understandable that the extra weight is a burden. My feet get swollen all the time and in general, yes, I do not feel good with this weight. I guess I would not care if it was the looks only but as the health consequences come with the weight gain, I want to get back to my previous 45kg self.
I think it is just the age and getting older and yes, the body gets worn out and also, less calories are needed than when I was younger. I'm now cutting down on carbs and try to eat smaller portions less frequently.
Rourouni
Try buckwheat pasta instead of wheat pasta. Buckwheat is a relative of the rhubarb family, so is not a 'grain'. You can also make pancakes with buckwheat flour, but it has to be mixed 1.1 with wholemeal flour, or the result is a bit like eating shoe leather! You can also get buckwheat kernels, which you cook like rice.
I can only buy it at a health food shop, but you might find it in the supermarket.
I have found that a regular yoga practice is a very good way to improve your physical and emotional well being. The people that I know who have a regular yoga practice are usually slim and healthy and have a good sense of self. This does, of course, require disipline. I do strongly recommend that anyone so inclined make yoga a part of their overall health plan.
I have a problem with yoga, which is Hinduism and New Age religion disguised as exercise. It's something too spiritually dangerous to play with, and it leads you away from God rather than to Him, as some people might like you to believe.
There is a Christian alternative to yoga that reaps the same physical benefits while offering praise to the one who made our bodies in the first place. The person who coined the phrase "Praise Moves" used to be heavily into yoga. Her story is here:
www.praisemoves.com/ChristianAlternative.htm
Several years ago, I bought a set of beginner yoga DVDs, long before I knew anything about the spiritual side of yoga. For no reason that I could explain, I was creeped out by the DVDs without even taking off the shrink wrap. Not long ago, I put those unopened DVDs in the trash. I wouldn't even donate them to pass on that garbage to someone else. IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, STAY AWAY FROM YOGA.
Tricky topic... I have had the same doubts and still haven't got my final decision. I had back injury and found tremendous relief and health results by practicing YOGA asanas. However, I consider myself a devoted Christian and I did think about some of the issues you mention. However, my opinion is that if you stick only to the asana parts (which actually is a physical extension exercising) and avoid the chanting, mantras,chakras and rest of the Yoga philosophy, than I personally do not see major difference to a regular exercise of other kind.
As long as one holds the true Christian faith and looks Yoga as physical exercise mehod, I would say that no harm is done. As you know, many bad things start with a nice intro, so keep the intro and avoid the bad follow up would be my opinion...
My comment on the article is:
Yoga is as old as Hinduism which is one of the oldest religions in the world , so there are bound to be some influences from the religion itself. It's definitely not "New Age" as the Western world likes to call it.
That being said, the Yoga which is taught across the world focuses mostly on asanas which gives tremendous relief to the body so there is definitely no harm in following it. And I would rather see somebody - a Christian, a Muslim, etc - finding less stress and more relaxation amd more joy by doing the physical part then just blindly giving advice like "Stay away from Yoga".
Also, not to make it too long, in the Hindu Relgion which has evolved over time - Bhagvad Gita in particular - the principles are similar about achieving Truth and Salvation - which is Nirvana - and oneness with God - it is not the prerogative of any 1 religion.
Personally, I agree to a fair degree with the sentiment but not details or thought process of Djones3423.
It's fairly typical Christian advice given: "don't do it, it's weird and bad and takes you away from God and no I haven't actually looked at it or inspected at all." That being said, Christianity is something that I have great respect for. If someone's faith is susceptible to deterioration from simply looking at something that MAY not align with their beliefs, well, how would you know without inspection?
Yoga is sorta weird but many claim great benefits to their bodies from the practice.
We bought a DVD of it once and all the other garbage about the Sun and Earth (or whatever) injected into the motions made it unenjoyable and was watched once before seeking out other forms of fitness. The instructor was very flexible and fit though.
Kindly in response:
"We bought a DVD of it once and all the other garbage about the Sun and Earth (or whatever)..." ---THE SUN AND THE MOON AND THE EARTH ARE SACRED TO MANY, INCLUDING NATIVE AMERICANS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES EVERYWHERE. I ALSO ASSUME THAT THOSE INTERESTED IN OPTIMAL HEALTH RESPECT THE EARTH AND NATURE ENOUGH TO REALIZE THAT THESE ELEMENTS OF LIFE ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT TO ALL
"...too spiritually dangerous to play with, and it leads you away from God rather than to Him" ---IF ONE IS TRULY STRONG IN HIS/HER BELIEFS, HOW CAN HE/SHE BE SO EASILY PERSUADED? PERHAPS LEARNING ABOUT OTHER CULTURES/BELIEFS/RELIGIONS IS A GREAT BLESSING AS IT OPENS OUR HEARTS TO UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSION IN A WORLD CLOUDED BY INTOLERANCE AND HATRED
folks, please remember that many people on this earth adhere to various and widely differing wisdom and spiritual traditions. We must always honor others' heritage and beliefs - this is true tolerance, I believe, and only when we respect each other can we share true love and compassion. I believe this is the basis of Christianity, Hinduism, and all beliefs, whatever they may be...
Peace to all.
I am very suprised to here Mercola say that ventricular hypertophy is a healthy and safe response to excersise. Left ventricular hypertrophy is a very dangerous condition. If the ventrical enlarges, that means the space inside it is smaller, producing less cardiac output, this can lead to very serious problems including death. This article is misleading in making it sound like you want your heart to grow the same as your biceps, which is not the case. You want your heart more efficient, but you certainly do not want it to grow.
It depends on how you got it. Almost all athletes have it to some degree. If it's due to hypertension (the heart having to work too hard to pump the blood around the arterial system) then it's serious. In a skinny-malinks (! ... a northern Irish term) with all his parameters in order like JM it would be down to his being an exercise junkie.
you err
I respectfully disagree to an extent, it doesn't really matter how you got it, if you have it you have it and the results of hypertrophy are the same regardless of how you got it, the more hypertrophy you have the less blood the heart can pump out its that simple, how it grew doesn't matter really. Hypertension is mainly the cause, and you get have dangerous hypertension from excersising wrong. Now im not saying excersise is a bad thing by any means, but if your doing things like power lifting and grunting and locking your stomach or running with weights, things that do increase your blood pressure than that is a dangerous form of excersise. Even if you are an amazingly fit person hypertrophy is never a good thing to have. This is why olympic athletes can drop dead of heart problems. Hypertrophy is very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs, keep excersising, just do it intelligently.