Why we're studying heart health in recreational athletes

La Trobe University researchers are investigating heart health in recreational athletes to better understand heart rhythm changes and the role of heart screening in physically active people.

Regular exercise is one of the best things people can do for their health, and serious cardiac events during and shortly after exercise are rare. However, some heart conditions can remain undetected for years and, in rare cases, intense exercise may trigger an underlying heart rhythm problem. While heart screening can help identify potentially serious conditions, researchers still do not know who is most likely to benefit from screening or which tests are most effective.

Most research into athlete heart health has focused on elite competitors, despite recreational athletes making up the majority of people who participate in endurance sports. Every weekend, thousands of Australians take part in running events, cycling races, triathlons and community sport. Compared with elite athletes, recreational athletes are often older, have different training patterns and may have different cardiovascular risk factors.

Our recent research highlights why more investigation is needed. In a study of recreational endurance cyclists, researchers found that more than two-thirds of participants had heart rhythm changes that met international criteria for further assessment. While these findings do not mean recreational athletes need extensive heart testing, they suggest heart rhythm changes may be more common than previously thought.

“Most of what we know about athlete heart health comes from studies of elite competitors, but recreational athletes make up the vast majority of people participating in endurance sport,” said lead researcher Dr Daniel Wundersitz. “Our goal is not to discourage participation in sport, but to better understand which athletes may benefit from screening and how we can identify heart rhythm problems early and efficiently.”

Researchers still do not know how common these heart rhythm changes are across the wider recreational athlete population, what they mean for long-term heart health, or which athletes may benefit most from screening.

To help answer these questions, The Holsworth Biomedical Research Centre in conjunction with the La Trobe Rural Health School are seeking recreationally active adults to take part in a new study (HREC24024). Participants will receive a free heart health assessment, including a resting ECG, multi-day heart rhythm monitoring, an aerobic fitness assessment and personalised feedback on their results.

“By taking part, recreational athletes will receive valuable information about their own heart health while helping us improve future heart screening recommendations,” Dr Wundersitz said.

Interested in participating?
Email:
Dr Daniel Wundersitz
La Trobe University Bendigo