This Heart Problem Might Also Be a Sign of Training Burnout
According to a new study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, excessive burnout can lead to atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).
To prevent burnout from occurring in the first place, it’s important to be mindful of your physical and mental needs. Don’t push yourself too hard too fast, and give yourself time to rest and recharge.
Cyclists are a dedicated, hardworking bunch who want to give their all and push the pace on every workout to see just how far and fast they can go. However, constantly doing this can lead to periods of extreme exhaustion.
But new research suggests pushing until you’re burnt out can mess up more than your training block, including affecting your heart’s regular rhythm, and even leading to blood clots, stroke, or heart failure.
For this study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, researchers surveyed more than 11,000 people, assessing feelings of anger, vital exhaustion (commonly described as “burnout syndrome”), depression (along with antidepressant use), and loneliness. They followed up with the participants multiple times over a period of almost 25 years to see who developed atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).
The study used the Vital Exhaustion Questionnaire, which is a self-reported survey that assesses feelings of excessive fatigue and lack of energy, irritability, and demoralization. According to the University of California, San Francisco, “people often attribute these feelings to overwork, or to problems at work or in other important life areas that the person has not been able to solve, or to a real or symbolic loss. Therefore, it has been suggested that [vital exhaustion] is a mental state at which people arrive when their resources for adapting to stress are broken down.”
Here’s what the researchers found: Those with the highest levels of vital exhaustion were 20 percent more likely to develop an irregular heartbeat than those who reported little or no feelings of vital exhaustion.
So what’s the correlation? While more research needs to be done to fully understand it, vital exhaustion in general is associated with increased inflammation and increased activation of the body’s physiologic stress response, according to Parveen K. Garg, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California.
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“When these two things are chronically activated, that can have serious and damaging effects on the heart tissue itself, which could then eventually lead to damage of the heart’s electrical system and lead to the development of this arrhythmia,” he told Runner’s World.
And while the study didn’t look at the burnout of athletes specifically, training is a huge part of day-to-day life. Your body responds to the stresses of not being able to figure out why you’re not hitting specific times or feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from a rigorous training schedule in the same way it responds to the stresses of working long hours at a demanding job.
Athletes should be mindful of getting adequate rest and taking time for yourself—even if that means getting a relaxing massage instead of getting in a workout—to help prevent burnout from occurring in the first place.
Garg agrees, adding that eating a healthy diet, spending more time outside, and yoga or meditation can also help manage stress and prevent burnout—leaving you both mentally and physically healthier.
Symptoms of atrial fibrillation include feeling premature heartbeats, feeling like your heart is racing, shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, or chest pain or discomfort, according to the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 can detect heart problems like atrial fibrillation. If you are experiencing any symptoms, see your doctor immediately.
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