Overdosing on high-intensity exercise may increase the risk of death from a heart attack or stroke in those with existing heart disease, according to a German study published online.
The frequency and intensity of physical activity of more than 1,000 people with stable coronary artery heart disease were tracked for 10 years. Most were in their 60s and all had attended a cardiac rehabilitation programme.
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The least physically active were about twice as likely to have a heart attack/stroke as those who were regularly active and about four times as likely to die of cardiovascular and other causes. But those who did the most strenuous daily exercise were more than twice as likely to die of a heart attack/stroke.
Other studies have agreed with this, linking endurance training to an acute (reversible) pro-inflammatory state.
