How much sport is healthy?

• 2014

Healthy sports routine

Regular exercise units are not only good for the slim line, but also keep your body, mind and heart fit. However only in moderation!

People who do sports often live well - but it depends on the right dose. Too much sport can potentially have a negative impact on our body and cause cardiovascular disease. These were the findings of two studies published in the May 2014 issue of the journal Heart.

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The scientists headed by Nikola Drca from the Karolinska University Clinic in Stockholm interviewed 44, 410 subjects aged 45-79 years according to their sports habits at the age of 15, 30 and 50 years and at the beginning of the study, taking a close look at the heart health of the participants.

The result: Study participants who exercised more than five times a week at the age of 30 had a slightly increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Especially if they were athletic active in younger years, but were lazy as they got older. Participants who exercised moderately sports for more than one hour a day did not have a higher risk.

How much sport is really healthy?

The research team led by Ute Mons from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg accompanied 1, 038 cardiovascular patients during their rehab stays in two German clinics and interviewed them about their period of ten years over a period of ten years. The patients were on average 61 years old, most of them overweight and smokers, or they had smoked at a younger age.

The result: The moans among the subjects had a four times higher risk of death than their colleagues, who were active two to four times a week. In very active study participants, however, the risk was twice as high as in average athletes.

Both studies show that too much sport can be just as harmful to the heart as too little. But how much sport is healthy? Study leader Mons suggests a "moderate exercise on a moderate number of days". The World Health Organization recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of intensive training a week. That sounds like a good guide!

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