I certainly hope not because if a recent study holds true, if thinking about exercise causes your heart to race you're twice as likely to die of a sudden heart attack.
Of course it occurs to me that the folks whose hearts are likeliest to race at the thought of exercise would be those who are the least fit as they'll be worried about the prospect of exercising which in turn might cause their adrenaline to flow and their hearts to race.
So perhaps the results aren't so surprising - those who are the least fit are the most likely to suffer sudden heart attacks.
Bottom line? We should all do more exercise.
Jouven, X., Schwartz, P., Escolano, S., Straczek, C., Tafflet, M., Desnos, M., Empana, J., & Ducimetiere, P. (2009). Excessive heart rate increase during mild mental stress in preparation for exercise predicts sudden death in the general population European Heart Journal DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehp160
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Sometimes my heart races from excitement just before I go running, especially trail runs. I look forward to my runs so much that every one gets me excited. Hopefully that's not what this study captured!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Palidor - I always get excited before my hockey games and my heart races a bit. It's an adrenaline rush for me!
ReplyDeleteThanks Palidor and Hellcat13 for your insightful comments.
ReplyDeleteYes, anticipating excitement can cause adrenaline to flow.
This study however involved the anticipation of sitting on an exercise cycle.
Hardly a trail run or a hockey game.
Yes, Dr. Freedhoff, I have to admit - the prospect of sitting on an exercise bike doesn't really get my heart racing! Definitely a reason why I choose high-impact sports instead. If I'm going to exercise, I want to be excited about it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they've invented an exercise that gets me excited....lol
ReplyDelete