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
This study looked at older male athletes who exercise a lot and found that how hard they exercise matters more than how much.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
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Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at older male athletes who exercise a lot and found that how hard they exercise matters more than how much.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 531 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Aengevaeren VL, Mosterd A, Bakker EA, Braber TL, Nathoe HM, Sharma S, Thompson PD, Velthuis BK, Eijsvogels TMH
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.