Cardio exercises are great for you, but I’m confused. Since the heart is a muscle, does exercising it make it grow bigger, which could lead to heart disease?
My father has a enlarged heart and this question crossed my mind.
In: Biology
Exercise makes your heart stronger and more efficient, but doesn’t really make it bigger to the same rate like an arm muscle would get bigger. It does still happen of course but is mainly the consequence of super heavy endurance training like in high level sports, and yes that is usually a risk factor for heart problems.
Like with all things in life it’s about the balance – a strong heart helps you keep up a healthy body, an overtrained heart may cause problems. The average person working out will not really get to that point, unless you have an underlying condition of course.
There’s more than can cause enlarged hearts, from infections to genetic disorders and prolonged hypertension.
Latest Answers