working out it is something that all health experts speak in favor of. We ourselves have been taught from a very young age that exercising is good for our health. After all, a healthy mind resides in a healthy body! However, it should always be remembered that anything in excess can be really dangerous. The more extreme we try to go for something, the more damaging it can be to us. Similarly, pushing the body beyond the limits can cause serious health complications. In the recent past, comedian Raju Srivastav and Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar lost their lives out of nowhere while working out at the gym. This has led people to ask “Are we exercising to death”? It also begs a question: how much exercise is too much?
Health problems that can occur during exercise
- Rhabdomyolysis: Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome involving muscle breakdown and damage. When muscles are injured, they release their contents, including a muscle enzyme called myoglobin, which is a protein, into the bloodstream. The enzyme can damage the kidneys and cause kidney failure in up to 40% of cases. It can also damage the kidneys’ ability to remove urine and other wastes. In rare cases, rhabdomyolysis can even cause death. However, timely treatment often brings a good result. It occurs most often with weightlifters and marathon runners who exhaust their muscles and at the same time become dehydrated, especially in hot conditions. Rhabdo can also be caused by drinking too much alcohol and can also be related to taking too many creatine supplements or anabolic steroids.
- electrolyte imbalance: Electrolyte imbalances occur when electrolyte levels are too high or too low, which is a sign of another problem in the body. The body’s chemistry can become dangerously off-kilter in the form of an electrolyte imbalance, which can result from too much (hyper) or too little (hypo) of a given electrolyte. This could be caused by a hard workout in sync with a strenuous weight loss program and/or a sudden sugar rush. Extremely rapid weight loss can cause significant problems with changes in the body’s electrolytes. This affects people who suddenly eat or drink after conditioning their bodies to a starvation diet.
- Exertional heat stroke: Technically called hyperthermia, “exertional heat stroke” is a life-threatening combination of overheating your system while overexercising. While there is some evidence that training in hot weather can improve cardiovascular fitness, it is also true that too much heat, particularly when the body exceeds 104°F or 40°C, can have a devastating impact on your body. Symptoms include confusion, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, and low blood pressure.
- Hypothermia: Hypothermia, defined as when the body’s core temperature drops significantly below the normal 98.6°F or 37°C, is typically associated with alpine sports. However, hypothermia can often surprise everyday athletes in various other settings, including long-distance swimming. A long, sweaty run in cold weather can also cause hypothermia. Once you stop running, your sweat-soaked jersey can quickly cool down, forcing your body to warm up not only yourself, but any gear that puts you at risk of hypothermia. A sweatshirt should always be close at hand and changing quickly into dry clothes should be a priority.
- Dehydration: Dehydration can be one of the most common conditions during a workout, and potentially one of the most dangerous. Exercising in hot, humid weather or in a hot, humid gym, or sweating a lot can put you at risk of dehydration, which occurs when the body loses much more water than it takes in. While mild dehydration is usually manageable, severe dehydration can create dangerous electrolyte imbalances. When the body’s water supply begins to dry up, its electrolyte concentration increases. Severe dehydration can make it seem like the body has a lot more electrolytes than normal.
heart attack while exercising
Cardio is defined as any type of exercise that increases the heart rate and maintains it for an extended period of time. Therefore, it is quite obvious that pressure is put on the heart while someone is doing cardio, as the heart needs to pump blood faster to keep up with the body’s high oxygen demand.
A sudden decrease in blood flow causes damage, especially to a healthy heart, which is new to working with low blood flow. If the heart is already weak, then it has passed through that condition.
The fat, cholesterol, and other things that build up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle are called plaques.
When this plaque ruptures in the heart artery for some reason, a blood clot forms there. This blood clot blocks blood flow, which can lead to a heart attack.
What could cause a heart attack during exercise?
Sudden cardiac arrest during exercise or intense physical activity can occur primarily due to existing, diagnosed or undiagnosed blockages in the heart.
Blockages in the heart are the result of cholesterol cells and particles breaking through the endothelial cell barrier and infiltrating the lining of the artery. This results in the formation of a bulge called plaque in the artery. Too much physical strain can cause “plaque rupture or trigger electrical disturbances in the heart” further leading to cardiac arrest.
Exercise is vital to help prevent heart disease. It is generally safe for most people, but precautions should be taken, especially if:
- your doctor has told you that you have one or more of the risk factors for heart disease
- have recently had a heart attack or other heart problem
- you have been inactive before
low impact exercises They are also helpful for people who have heart disease.
How to be safe during exercise?
People with heart disease can almost always exercise safely if they are screened beforehand. However, exercise is not appropriate for all people with heart disease. While in the initial phases of exercising, the key is to start slowly to avoid adverse effects. It’s also smart to consult a health expert before beginning a new exercise program. There are some cases where the entire exercise routine is planned and supervised by health professionals.
Despite these precautions, it can be difficult for a doctor to predict the health problems one might experience while exercising. It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the symptoms that may suggest harmful complications. Becoming aware of some typical warning signs of a heart-related problem could save your life.
