Wrong sport is life-threatening

Several hundred athletes die of sudden cardiac death every year. Young people are just as affected as those returning to sport at an advanced age. The cause is usually an undetected heart disease.

Sports is healthy, especially for the prevention of age-related heart diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD). Nevertheless, before you start exercising, you should undergo a sports medical examination. This applies to younger, trained people as well as to older people who are returning to sport. This is the only way to rule out congenital heart defects or cardiac arrhythmias, which do not cause any problems in everyday life and therefore often go undetected, but can lead to sudden cardiac death during exercise.

In adolescents and young adults, the so-called "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy" is responsible for dangerous arrhythmias under great physical strain: Like any trained muscle, the heart muscle also enlarges over time through physical activity. What is actually a physiological adaptation to intensive and regular training becomes a risk factor when the septum between the left and right ventricles (ventricular septum) thickens asymmetrically. This acts like a narrowing of the blood vessels (stenosis) and impedes the flow of blood from the left ventricle into the main artery (aorta). In the case of great physical strain, this can have fatal consequences.

“The irregular growth of the heart muscle is not the result of incorrect training, but is already genetically determined,” explains Dr. Reinhold Lunow. The medical director of the Praxisklinik Bornheim near Cologne and Bonn knows: "Since no symptoms usually occur in everyday life, this heart disease often remains hidden for a long time."

Sports break during feverish infection

But feverish infections can also make the heart muscle susceptible to arrhythmias that lead to sudden cardiac death. "Anyone who exercises despite having a feverish infection is putting their heart at risk," warns Dr. Lunow. "Instead, you should avoid exercise, because such infections often cause inflammation of the heart muscle, a so-called myocarditis, resulting in dangerous rhythm disturbances."

From the age of 35, rapid cardiac arrhythmias and the resulting cardiac deaths in sport are by far the most common cause of coronary heart disease: arteriosclerosis, colloquially known as "calcification" of the coronary arteries. If the oxygen supply to the heart muscle is disrupted by the reduced blood flow, arrhythmias occur: the heart muscle cells no longer work synchronously. The heart's pumping capacity decreases or collapses completely. After just a few seconds without sufficient oxygen in the brain, unconsciousness sets in. If resuscitation measures such as ventilation and cardiac massage are not initiated within a very short time, this process ends fatally.

Sport does indeed place a strain on our cardiovascular system. “Nevertheless, you should not give up regular sport. After all, it is one of the best ways to counteract coronary heart disease, because the heart muscle also needs to be trained. However, possible risks should be ruled out beforehand. Patients at risk should consult with their doctor to find the right type of sport for them. Doctor find,” says Dr. Lunow.

Simple Rules for Healthy Sport

The specialist for internal medicine Medicine is also a specialist in Diagnostics and prevention (Prävention). For healthy sport, he recommends following a few simple rules:

• Get a fitness check before you start exercising. Those returning to sport, but also younger athletes, should get a medical check-up to identify the appropriate level of exertion for them and to identify any congenital heart defects.
• infections and Diseases If your pulse rate is higher after an infection, whether at rest or during exercise, than it was before the illness, your heart function may not have returned to normal. This should be checked by a doctor to prevent further damage to your heart.
• Rule out family history. A medical examination is also recommended if there has been a sudden death in the family at a young age. This is the only way to rule out hereditary factors for heart disease.
• Increase the intensity slowly. Don't start with the maximum intensity that you easily achieved in your youth. You can often see success after just a few training sessions. Also avoid excessive ambition and choose the intensity sensibly. For example, you should avoid the final sprint where you want to "get everything out of yourself". And: sport should be fun.
• Choose the right sport. Endurance sports such as jogging, walking, swimming or cycling are particularly recommended and are also suitable for older people. Overloading the cardiovascular system is easier to avoid than, for example, in ball sports with tackles and sprints.
• Pay attention to warning signs. Dizziness, feelings of fainting, pressure, tightness or pain in the chest should definitely be checked by a doctor. The same applies to heart palpitations or racing heartbeats as well as a slow drop in pulse rate after exercise.

sports check with cardiac ultrasound examination

In order to avoid all dangers and to be able to do sport without worry, Dr. Lunow recommends a comprehensive examination. “From the age of 35, the health insurance company pays a health checkFor athletes, there is also a fitness check Recommended: We examine the heart not only with a resting and a Stress ECG, but also carry out an ultrasound examination. With this Echocardiography Pathological changes in the heart and bloodstream can be detected quickly and without radiation exposure."

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