More super-hard exercise might clog arteries more
Exercise Volume Versus Intensity and the Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged and Older Athletes: Findings From the MARC-2 Study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Very vigorous exercise increased coronary plaque progression, while vigorous exercise reduced it—even though both are considered ‘high intensity’.
Most people assume all high-intensity exercise is equally beneficial or harmful; this shows a sharp divergence between ‘vigorous’ and ‘very vigorous’.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a middle-aged or older male athlete, consider reducing the proportion of your workouts that are ‘very vigorous’ (≥9 METs) and focus more on ‘vigorous’ (6–9 METs) intensity.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Very vigorous exercise increased coronary plaque progression, while vigorous exercise reduced it—even though both are considered ‘high intensity’.
Most people assume all high-intensity exercise is equally beneficial or harmful; this shows a sharp divergence between ‘vigorous’ and ‘very vigorous’.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a middle-aged or older male athlete, consider reducing the proportion of your workouts that are ‘very vigorous’ (≥9 METs) and focus more on ‘vigorous’ (6–9 METs) intensity.
Publication
Journal
Circulation
Year
2023
Authors
V. L. Aengevaeren, A. Mosterd, E. Bakker, T. Braber, H. Nathoe, Sanjay Sharma, P. Thompson, B. Velthuis, T. Eijsvogels
Related Content
Claims (8)
The association between cumulative exercise volume and coronary plaque burden is significantly amplified when the volume includes a high proportion of high-intensity training sessions.
For older male athletes, doing a lot of hard but not extreme exercise—like fast running or cycling—seems to be linked to less calcium buildup in heart arteries over time, compared to doing super intense workouts.
For older male athletes, how much they exercise overall doesn’t seem to affect whether their heart arteries get more clogged over time—it’s more about how hard they push during workouts.
Older male athletes who do the most extreme workouts are more likely to develop hardened, calcified plaques in their heart arteries over time, compared to those who train less intensely.
For older male athletes who work out really hard—like sprinting or intense cycling—doing more of this super intense exercise over time seems to be linked to more calcium building up in their heart arteries, which could be a sign of plaque growth.