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One of the most common heart rhythm disorders worldwide, atrial fibrillation—known as A-fib—involves irregular electrical impulses in the atrium, one of the two upper heart chambers. As a result, those chambers are out of sync with the lower chambers.
When this happens, it significantly raises the risk of stroke, but recent research on two or more days per week physical fitness A Part of Hearst Digital Media.
Regular Exercise Lowers Risk of Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke treadmill test between 2003 and 2012. Fitness capacity was assessed by having participants increase speed and incline level in successive three-minutes stages. Researchers then calculated the rate of energy expenditure using metabolic equivalents, or METs.
and younger athletes may be at particular risk, according to other, stroke, had a heart attack, or died. Looking at the associations between those initial tests and outcomes over 11 years, they found that each MET increase on the test was associated with an 8 percent lower risk of A-fib, 12 percent lower risk of stroke, and 14 percent lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.
This led the researchers to note in a statement that the findings indicate that keeping fit may help prevent A-fib and stroke.
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The recent findings are in contrast to some previous research that has shown concerns about A-fib risk increasing due to high-volume, vigorous exercise.
For example, according to a cohort study released in May 2022 in EP Europace, a peer-reviewed medical journal specializing in cardiac health published by Oxford University Press, researchers found an association between a high-level of endurance sport training and increased risk of atrial fibrillation in female athletes. The same holds true for male athletes Study: Cutting Sugar, Processed Meat Extends Life research.
Another study from the European Society of Cardiology identified a U-shaped curve of incidence which demonstrated that some high-intensity exercise protected individuals against A-fib, but too much or too little could exacerbate the issue. The research points out that greater than 2,000 hours of formation-accumulated high-intensity endurance training was found to be a risk factor for lone A-fib.
The question on every runner’s mind: Should you change your exercise behavior to prevent A-fib? As with most answers to health questions, it depends. But one thing is certain: You shouldn’t stop moving.
“I generally don’t recommend people stop exercising due to occasional A-fib, because the exercise is having a positive effect on other factors that would contribute to your increase of stroke and comorbidity [risk],” William Cornwell, M.D., associate professor of medicine-cardiology at the University of Colorado Medicine, previously told Runner’s World.
“It’s a little hard to quantitate, but if you are a couch potato and don’t exercise at all, the risk of A-fib is higher over your lifetime than for people who regularly exercise and follow the recommended guidelines,” Cornwell added, referring to the Factors That Make New Runners Keep Running. These guidelines suggest 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, as well as muscle-strengthening activities Does Cannabis Affect Workout Performance.
Ultimately, it’s essential to pay attention to and treat A-fib, so see a doctor if you suspect you have it, but don’t sacrifice your workouts Study: Cutting Sugar, Processed Meat Extends Life.
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
Tamanna K. Singh, M.D., is a board-certified adult clinical and sports cardiologist and RRCA-certified run coach. She earned her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Boston Medical Center. She completed her Cardiovascular Medicine fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York and her specialty training in Sports Cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is currently the codirector of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio and assistant professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. To date, she has held several council roles with the American College of Cardiology (ACC). As a sports cardiologist, Dr. Singh provides cardiovascular care for professional, competitive, and recreational athletes and describes herself as an advocate for safe participation in sports. Media and print contributions include the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and others. Outside of her profession, she enjoys running marathons, hitting the weights in the gym, playing sous-chef to her wonderful husband while cooking plant-based meals, and playing with her four beautiful dogs.
