We all know the health benefits of exercise, but have you ever wondered how it affects our heart?
Exercise significantly affects the heart, leading to the physiological adaptation known as the 'athletic heart'. This includes lower heart rate, hypertrophy and dilatation of the left ventricle, as well as electrical adaptations such as bradycardia. Athletes, particularly those involved in intensive training, often experience arrhythmias, with bradyarrhythmias being the most common.
The adaptations of the heart depend on the type and intensity of exercise, with professional athletes showing more pronounced changes due to regular training. Myocardial structure varies according to the sport: dynamic and static sports, such as weightlifting, lead to increased wall thickness and bradycardia, while aerobic sports, such as long-distance running, cycling and swimming, cause hypertrophy and lower heart rate. On the basis of hemodynamic characteristics, exercise is divided into isotonic, which enhances endurance and improves circulation, and isometric, which increases peripheral resistance.
With the cessation of the sport, cardiac adaptations usually subside; therefore, pre-sport testing is essential before resuming sporting activity and should be repeated regularly.
Although sports promote health, athletes are not immune to cardiovascular disease. Screening can reduce the risk of sudden death, while gradually stopping the training, ensures that the heart can smoothly adapt to its normal size.