Is physical training actually good for your heart?

                                    

We've all heard that exercising is good for your cardiovascular health but it sounds vogue and some can argue that it's just another internet jibber jabber and will tell you some stories about some guy who died early despite being a fitness fanatic or some pro bodybuilder who's gone way before his time. I won't delve deep into the topics of drug abuse in pro sports or some inborn illnesses that could be a reason of early death despite exercising. I'll just lay out bellow scientifically proven facts about benefits of exercise for your cardiovascular system.

  • World Health Organisation recommends for people aged 18 to 64 to get 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to ensue overall cardiovascular health.
  • Regular exercise promotes health of blood vessels by keeping them flexible and helping them function, plus it helps with preventing and dissolving of blood clots.
  • Physical training protects against chronic disease by keeping endothelial cells healthy and those cells are lining every surface of circulatory system and playing a key role in cardio health.
  • It can be effective drug against the high blood pressure. It's confirmed by a recent meta-analysis of 391 randomized controlled trials, involving 39,742 participants, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The studies found that among hypertensive populations, there were “no ­detectable differences” in the systolic-blood-pressure-lowering effects of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I), angiotensin-II-receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, and diuretics compared with regular endurance or resistance exercise.

  • Reduced risk of heart-disease with improved production of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), the vascular hormone that counterbalances high blood pressure.

  • Heart becomes bigger and stronger. Endurance activities like running or rowing enlarge the heart chambers via a process called eccentric remodeling which increases the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat. While the strength training enhances concentric remodeling which increases the overall size of the heart making its walls thicker and stronger.

    “The heart is a muscle, so just like other muscles, weightlifting makes the heart muscle get stronger,” says Brad Dieter, PhD, of Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.