Too Much Exercise?

Well, is it true? Unfortunately, it's not so clear.

As per Eijsvogels et al. (2018);

(1) there is limited evidence that supports the “Extreme exercise hypothesis,” the most compelling relating to the increased risk of atrial fibrillation at high volumes of exercise;

(2) cardiac anomalies may be present in a small proportion of the most active veteran athletes; and

(3) the combination of high-intensity physical activity in the presence of known or occult CVD, seems to be the major cause of exercise-related fatalities.

Overall, athletes maintain lower rates of cardiac events and all-cause mortality, even at elite levels. Mandsager et al. (2018) tried to look for this "upper limit";

This study found proportional increase in survivability up to elite levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, and low aerobic fitness displayed a similar or greater effect than traditional CVD risk factors such as smoking, CAD, diabetes. 

This question, along with these studies, will be discussed in further detail in next week's podcast, so make sure to stay tuned for that. For now, exercising too much probably isn't increasing your risk of death or disease, but there are further caveats to be discussed!

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