More on How Sometimes Exercise Can be Bad For You

Exercising too much can be bad for your heart.  This is the second time this topic has come up recently.  Is something up?  That's how these things usually start, but before we worry about that...

The Numbers:

• Fasting Blood Glucose Level:  106 mg/dl
• Weight:  187 lbs. 
• Exercise:  45 minute bike ride on the sweaty express. 
• Mood:  8.5.  Hey, it's Friday Eve and pizza night. 

The Menu:

• Breakfast:  Oatmeal with craisins, fruit medley.
• Lunch:  Leftover pasta chilli, one the Charming Mrs. SWMBO's family favorites.  It's quick, easy and cheap. 
• Dinner:  Pizza and salad
• Snacks:  grapes. 

 

Too Much Exercise Can be Bad for You.

Happily, I am in no danger of that.  Marathoners, iron man triathletes and cyclists of the Tour De France class all can develop heart problems from the hours of training and competition.  For some, not all, the long workouts can trigger scarring in the heart and abnormalities in the hearts rhythm.  For some, the injury is temporary and heals.  For others, the damage can become permanent.

The article is here.  The other article that exercise in general could be heart unhealthy for some is here and I wrote about it last week.  Interesting if this starts a cautious view of what exercise can do for or to us.

The study cited by the Daily Mail is about intense physical exertion, what most people try to avoid. The New York Times article was more about people harming themselves intending to help themselves by exercising.  The Daily Mail article is not about exercising for health, but the exhilaration of competition.  Humans where probably never meant to pursue these long, intense levels of exertion.  For some the thrill of doing it is like drug high. For some it's the competition that drives them.  God speed to them, I say. 

That reminds me, congratulations to Ryder Hesjedal of the Garmin - Barracuda team for winning the Giro d'Italia.  He is the first Canadian to win a Grand Tour Event.

Next up is the Tour de France July and then comes the Vuelta de Espana in September.  I admit I have Walter Middy moments when I ride.  In my mind I am not riding on a dark street in Houston, TX, but through a charming French village leading in the Tour de France.  Oh, well.

Anyhoo, the experts quoted here recommend an hour of exercise maximum per day. From what I have always read, a half hour a day, five days a week is all that is really needed for good general health.  Walking briskly is fine.  I am sticking with the bike because I love riding, and I get to fantasize about winning the Tour de France, spraying champagne on the stand and kissing pretty French girls. 

Any time spent beyond one hour does the body no good, if not harm.  But if you crave that endorphin buzz or the chance to go the farthest fastest, go for it I say.  Just beware of the risks.

This made me think of an article in Runner's World.  Running is good for treating and preventing type 2 diabetes and the more running (and by extension, aerobic exercise in general) the better.  There was no upside limit according to the research cited in this article.  For your overall health, that may not necessarily true apparently, although this article probably did not have the extreme athlete in mind. 

This also made me think of what can happen to  cyclists who spend a lot of time on the saddle.  For men, that could mean compressed nerves and blood vessels causing erectile dysfunction.  For woman the compression causes a loss of sensitivity. For some, the compression is only temporary.  Sometimes it can be permanent.

One culprit is the traditional design for the bike saddle and there are seats available to remedy this.  The other is aggressive positioning of the handle bars.  That's good for speed and bad for the naughty bits.