Death and Heart Issues in Elite Athletes

I'd guess that any extreme exercise BRINGS OUT imperfections not CAUSES these ailments. That's probably why they tell you to see a doctor before you start an exercise program.

Good questions. I would like to hear some expert answers.

( I will say that in most cases supplements play little role)

Also, a list of semi-elite to elite runners who dropped dead or nearly dropped dead from heart issues would be interesting, and if someone could fill in the banks on the exact cause of death in each case, if known, to see about the trends or differences, it would be helpful. Here's a start.

Ryan Shay

Ed Sheehan (former Harvard coach)

Alberto Salazar (almost, but survived)

Lou Ristiano (almost, but survived. Top local runner from MA a few years back.)

Travis Landreth

Hadd

Who else? I know it's a long list and the above is the tip of the iceberg

(and was Hadd's exact cause of death ever revealed?)

Interesting article in our paper last week about eddy merckx that there was a cardiogram that would have forbid him from racing. But he still raced.

And now he takes medication and does sports for his large heart.

There are lots of studies out there that show that endurance athletes suffer heart damage from competition. The vast majority of which heals in the subsequent weeks, but no one seems to know if it might cause more permanent damage in some. Here's an example of a recent study...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/12/07/marathon-heart-damage-endurance.html

Over the age of 35, sudden death in athletes is generally caused by the same things that trigger cardiac events in general,” says Nair, a veteran of four marathons. Rosenblatt, a lifelong runner who has also done half-Ironman triathlons, agrees. “The most likely reason is coronary artery disease,” he says, “especially if you’re a man, just like it is for everyone of that age group, because it’s so rampant in our culture. Probably 50 percent of the population have plaque in their heart arteries by that age.” This scenario, for example, applies to former elite marathoner Alberto Salazar, age 48, who had a near-fatal heart attack in June, and former national-class marathoners such as Andy Palmer and Ed Sheehan, both of whom died on a run despite being highly fit masters runners.

“Under the age of 35, things are different,” says Nair. “Then it’s usually caused by a structural problem with the heart.” The leading causes among endurance athletes for this age group are:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is abnormal thickening of the heart muscle. Because of the excessive thickness, problems can occur as blood leaves the heart.

Coronary anomalies. This is being born with heart arteries that don’t take the normal course to the heart. As a result, the heart can act as if arteries are blocked, and heart rhythm problems can develop.

Congenital aortic stenosis. This is being born with two rather than three heart valve leaflets. In some people with this condition, the leaflets can’t open well and the heart can’t force blood out, especially when the person is dehydrated.

My cousin's Chinese kid...her blood flows through her circulatory system counter to the direction it's supposed to. Her arteries are veins and vice-versa. They say she could drop dead without warning at any moment but she is like 9 now and nothing bad has happened.

Sir Lance-alot wrote:

Good questions. I would like to hear some expert answers.

( I will say that in most cases supplements play little role)

Also, a list of semi-elite to elite runners who dropped dead or nearly dropped dead from heart issues would be interesting, and if someone could fill in the banks on the exact cause of death in each case, if known, to see about the trends or differences, it would be helpful. Here's a start.

Ryan Shay

Ed Sheehan (former Harvard coach)

Alberto Salazar (almost, but survived)

Lou Ristiano (almost, but survived. Top local runner from MA a few years back.)

Travis Landreth

Hadd

Jeff Drenth.

David Kimani.

Brian Maxwell

Don't forget Larry Olsen

thanks, yeah, already forgot about Kimani and Olson and some others listed here.

and thxs to others for some info. Sounds like those who are over 40 often have coronary artery disease?

Any info on Hadd?

Thank you for the info, Randy. I have heard of new(maybe?) blood tests that can check for the plaque, and is a much better predictor of issues compared to checking for cholesterol. I honestly feel that these are important issues to address around the running community. Thank you all for your input.

An honest question, is there really cause to suspect that there is a link between being an elite athlete and heart issues?

Or is it just that heart disease is pretty common and in any selected population there will be a decent number that have died of or have heart issues? Because the first thing lots of people probably think of when they hear "hear disease" is high cholesterol and clogged arteries it seems shocking when athletes have heart disease. But heart disease comes in lots of forms.

I have a heart disease (WPW). Something I was born with. I'm cleared to do anything, and am at low risk. But if I died and my heart condition was a factor, many people would question if being an athlete had some influence. But the truth is running doesn't hurt my heart. It actually works more normally when I'm running.

Ric Sayre, Jim Fixx

Not really. This kind of thing happens all the time in the general population but it never makes the news. Here in MN we had an 18 year old kid collapse during a basketball game. Sure he was probably fit, but he was no Ryan Shay either. And sedentary people drop all the time but since they aren't famous it doesn't make the news either.

Fixx, Salazar are / were predisposed to family risk factors, ie. hypertension etc.

Unsure of the others.

Interesting never hear of these issues with african or morrocan runners.

american lifestyle plays a key role.

I wonder how much heart disease in elite athletes has to do with overtraining. People who are under a lot of stress, like type-A personalities, tend to die early and have heart issues, partly because of high cortisone levels. Really intense training does the same thing as being stressed out as far as stressing your body, so I can see it causing health issues.

A lot of those guys in the 70s were known for having crappy diets, though, so that could play into their health issues.

Azaleas wrote:

I wonder how much heart disease in elite athletes has to do with overtraining. People who are under a lot of stress, like type-A personalities, tend to die early and have heart issues, partly because of high cortisone levels. Really intense training does the same thing as being stressed out as far as stressing your body, so I can see it causing health issues.

A lot of those guys in the 70s were known for having crappy diets, though, so that could play into their health issues.

Diet is the key. For too long many endurance athletes believed that endurance training provided a veneer of protection for the cardiovascular system. We now know that it's not the case. At least not if other risk factors are at play. The right diet, on the other hand, gives much more protection. It's also not 100% protective, but it certainly provides more heart protection than exercise. The best combination is a good diet AND sensible exercise.

These people are anomolies. If they were not elite athletes, we would not know about them. Thousands die from this everyday, and no one writes an article. But it's news when 5 or 6 elites do die from this over 25 years.