Analysis of Biomedical Data to Assess the Risk of Heart Rate Variability in Athletes Participating in Long-Term Excessive Endurance Exercise

TL;DR

This study investigates how long-term high-intensity endurance exercise affects heart health in amateur marathon runners, revealing complex effects on cardiovascular risk factors and biomarkers, with implications for athlete health assessments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of cardiovascular biomarkers and structural changes in amateur runners, highlighting the nuanced impact of long-term endurance training on heart health.

Findings

High-intensity running improves some cardiovascular components.

Biomarkers of cardiac damage are elevated post-race, indicating transient risk.

Long-term exercise does not significantly reduce atherosclerosis risk.

Abstract

Amateur marathon runners who exercise excessively over time have pathological structural changes in their hearts and aortas. Amateur marathon runners' cardiovascular system adaptations and dangers are discussed in this article. After completing endurance races, amateur athletes experience a series of cardiac modifications, including temporary elevation and changes in biomarkers of cardiac damage associated with an increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. As a result of the high prevalence of "false positive" biomarkers in athletes, the health benefits of aerobic activity are questioned, and treatment is complicated. Reports on long-term aerobic exercise contradict atherosclerosis risk. Differences may influence the results in lifestyle characteristics among participants. By comparing runners with their non-runner wives, we find that regular, high intensity run training improves many components of the cardiovascular profile but does not reduce atherosclerosis. Although metabolomic approaches have been developed to evaluate the physiological response of marathon runners, there is still controversy concerning the biomarkers of cardiovascular system alterations caused by long-term high-intensity endurance training. The cardiovascular risk profile is improved by habitual endurance exercise. Atherosclerosis is caused by age and cardiovascular risks; however, is little affected by it.