A new study of triathletes has shown that the human heart adapts to triathlon training by working more efficiently. And that reveals an important way we can all help strengthen our own hearts.
In the study, researchers conducted cardiac MRI on 26 male triathletes (average age: 28) and 27 control subjects who were recreationally active no more than three hours per week. The triathletes were all high-performance athletes who had been training and competing for at least six years.
The triathlon is a grueling event that consists of swimming, cycling and running — all performed in succession.
The MRI revealed that, compared to the recreational athletes, the triathletes had larger left atria and larger right and left ventricles. The triathletes’ left and right ventricles also had greater muscle mass and wall thickness. Researchers had to be careful, because there are conditions, such as cardiomyopathy, where the heart’s chambers and wall enlarge and cause the heart muscle to pump ineffectively.
But no, it was all good news that they saw in the elite triathletes. They tended to have a balanced increase in left and right ventricular muscle mass, wall thickness, and function of the heart. The changes in the heart reflected the nature of triathlon training — which includes endurance and resistance components.
And there you have it. The top exercise activities for optimal heart health are a combination of endurance and resistance training. Just like how triathletes train. Endurance activities include jogging, running and swimming — whereas lifting weights is an example of resistance training. Cycling combines both forms of exercise.
Cardiologists believe that if you excessively train in either form, it can lead to possibly dangerous heart adaptations. And those do extreme endurance training actually put themselves at a higher risk of sudden heart events.
But the triathlete, combining resistance and endurance, is stronger and able to manage the same workload as someone else with less effort. Their resting rates in the study were 17% lower than those of the control group, which leads to greater blood supply for the heart and more economized heart function.
Here, triathletes have taught us that exercising in a way that balances some weight lifting with aerobic activity is best for the heart. And if you toss some cycling in there, you’ve got the perfect mix.
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