Post by KenNiemann on Dec 2, 2010 15:39:09 GMT -5
Exercise for heart health.
Contrary to what most people believe to be true about the best way to, the medical facts simply don't support it. Do you believe that your leisurely walk is the best weapon against sudden heart failure? How about riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill for 45 minutes? Or better yet. How about doing one of those Tae-Bo classes or spinning classes?
Bad News! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you are doing any of the above in hopes of strengthening your heart and losing fat, then your efforts may be in vain.
A comprehensive study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that the recovery of your heart rate immediately after exercise is a risk factor for sudden death.
A delayed fall in the heart rate one minute after exercise may be one of the most important markers for heart health.
The Study For six years 5713 adults between the ages of 42 and 53 years without a history of heart disease were put through exercise testing. The participants were tested to see how quick their heart rates recovered.
The recovery of heart rate was defined as the decrease in the heart rate from peak exercise to one minute after the cessation of exercise.
An abnormal value for the recovery of heart rate was defined as a reduction of 12 beats per minute or less from the heart rate at peak exercise.
The results from the study concluded that a delayed decrease in the heart rate during the first minute after maximal exercise was strongly predictive of sudden death.
Another study discovered that the rate at which your heart increases from a resting level to the peak exercise level was also linked to a risk of sudden death.
Conclusion:
The risk of sudden death was increased in:
Subjects with a resting heart rate that was more than 75 beats per minute.
Subjects with an increase in heart rate during exercise that was less than 89 beats per minute.
Subjects with a decrease in heart rate of less than 12 beats per minute after the termination of exercise.
This is why I recommend high intensity interval training. As with any exercise program start slowly and increase intensity over a period of time.
Absolute peak exercise capacity on a treadmill predicts mortality, not how long you can go. New research reports.
Absolute Peak Exercise Capacity ... is what medical researchers call the most intense aspect of exercise. It's the hardest part. It’s the 15 seconds of sprinting at the end of a long run. It’s the most difficult 10 seconds of pumping during a peak level on an exercise bike. It’s the last few reps at the end of working "legs" in the gym. It’s walking up stairs and having to stop and catch your breath.
When the highest-intensity aspect of exercise is measured, it has been proven to be a better predictor of how long someone will live than other factors — including health risk factors like high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, and even heart disease.
Researchers from Stanford University, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, tested over 6,200 men and concluded that the chances of staying alive increase by 12 percent with each increase of a single metabolic equivalent when exercising as hard as possible on a treadmill.
What's a MET?
A "metabolic equivalent" (MET) is the amount of oxygen used by an average seated person.
METs increase with the intensity of exercise.
2 METs - walking at 2 mph
5 METs - walking at 4 mph
8 METs - jogging at 6 mph
The risk of death for those who could not get beyond 4 METs (brisk walking) was more than double the group who could get past 8 METs (jogging).
What this means to you
Simply, this study shows that traditional strategies of increasing longevity do little when compared to the strategy of using exercise to improve health and fitness.
Adults should consider (with physician clearance) performing high-intensity fitness training that will increase "absolute peak exercise capacity" and raise MET performance rating during exercise.
Contrary to what most people believe to be true about the best way to, the medical facts simply don't support it. Do you believe that your leisurely walk is the best weapon against sudden heart failure? How about riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill for 45 minutes? Or better yet. How about doing one of those Tae-Bo classes or spinning classes?
Bad News! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you are doing any of the above in hopes of strengthening your heart and losing fat, then your efforts may be in vain.
A comprehensive study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that the recovery of your heart rate immediately after exercise is a risk factor for sudden death.
A delayed fall in the heart rate one minute after exercise may be one of the most important markers for heart health.
The Study For six years 5713 adults between the ages of 42 and 53 years without a history of heart disease were put through exercise testing. The participants were tested to see how quick their heart rates recovered.
The recovery of heart rate was defined as the decrease in the heart rate from peak exercise to one minute after the cessation of exercise.
An abnormal value for the recovery of heart rate was defined as a reduction of 12 beats per minute or less from the heart rate at peak exercise.
The results from the study concluded that a delayed decrease in the heart rate during the first minute after maximal exercise was strongly predictive of sudden death.
Another study discovered that the rate at which your heart increases from a resting level to the peak exercise level was also linked to a risk of sudden death.
Conclusion:
The risk of sudden death was increased in:
Subjects with a resting heart rate that was more than 75 beats per minute.
Subjects with an increase in heart rate during exercise that was less than 89 beats per minute.
Subjects with a decrease in heart rate of less than 12 beats per minute after the termination of exercise.
This is why I recommend high intensity interval training. As with any exercise program start slowly and increase intensity over a period of time.
Absolute peak exercise capacity on a treadmill predicts mortality, not how long you can go. New research reports.
Absolute Peak Exercise Capacity ... is what medical researchers call the most intense aspect of exercise. It's the hardest part. It’s the 15 seconds of sprinting at the end of a long run. It’s the most difficult 10 seconds of pumping during a peak level on an exercise bike. It’s the last few reps at the end of working "legs" in the gym. It’s walking up stairs and having to stop and catch your breath.
When the highest-intensity aspect of exercise is measured, it has been proven to be a better predictor of how long someone will live than other factors — including health risk factors like high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, and even heart disease.
Researchers from Stanford University, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, tested over 6,200 men and concluded that the chances of staying alive increase by 12 percent with each increase of a single metabolic equivalent when exercising as hard as possible on a treadmill.
What's a MET?
A "metabolic equivalent" (MET) is the amount of oxygen used by an average seated person.
METs increase with the intensity of exercise.
2 METs - walking at 2 mph
5 METs - walking at 4 mph
8 METs - jogging at 6 mph
The risk of death for those who could not get beyond 4 METs (brisk walking) was more than double the group who could get past 8 METs (jogging).
What this means to you
Simply, this study shows that traditional strategies of increasing longevity do little when compared to the strategy of using exercise to improve health and fitness.
Adults should consider (with physician clearance) performing high-intensity fitness training that will increase "absolute peak exercise capacity" and raise MET performance rating during exercise.
