Is Cycling Bad For Your Health?

Photo: Brad Kaminski

There's an interesting article on Velonews regarding masters endurance athletes and heart health that members should be aware of. One should be aware that the idea of athlete's heart is not new. Researchers and clinicians have been interested in this for a number of years. But, we are part of the first generation that is not letting age slow us down. There are more masters athletes than ever and it is only recently that there is a greater amount of research specifically into masters athletes.

The take home from this article is that one should be aware that there are questions about what is an appropriate amount of activity and that it is not a given that being more and more active makes one more and more healthy. That is only common sense. There is always give and take in life. Is the issue intensity, duration/amount, or both? Research has repeatedly shown that shorter more intense efforts with more days off yield greater improvements in performance and weight control than long daily efforts. They also afford athletes with busy lives more flexibility and opportunity for rest. But, are those better or worse for one's heart? Only time will tell. Recovery is the key to improvement in performance and it seems it may be healthier for one's heart too. If you ride or run long distances every day, it might be worthwhile to re-evaluate that. At this point in time, no one knows the answers. There is one thing we know for certain though, when looking at the population as a whole those who are active live longer, healthier lives than those who are sedentary.