Heart health experts are sounding a new alarm for older male endurance athletes: that vigorous exercise regimen might be hiding a dangerous cardiac risk, particularly for those with undetected heart scarring.
A study from the University of Leeds followed 106 healthy male runners and cyclists over age 50, discovering that approximately one in four experienced episodes of ventricular tachycardia — an abnormally fast heart rhythm that can be life-threatening. More concerning: three-quarters of those athletes showed evidence of myocardial scarring, suggesting the abnormal rhythms weren’t random occurrences.
“Our study shows that exercise was only associated with a risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms in those who were already high risk due to heart scarring,” lead author Wasim Javed explained. “Athletes who developed abnormal heart rhythms were not exercising more or harder than athletes without abnormal heart rhythms.”
When Dedication Meets Risk
The VENTOUX study specifically targeted serious athletes — men who had trained more than 10 hours weekly in running or cycling for at least 15 years. Researchers used wearable technology like smartwatches and implantable loop recorders to match heart rhythms with exercise patterns.
What they found was striking. While most ventricular tachycardia episodes were brief and non-sustained, three participants experienced longer, potentially dangerous episodes — all in athletes with existing heart scarring. In fact, athletes with heart scarring were over 4.5 times more likely to experience abnormal heart rhythm episodes compared to those without, according to findings.
“We did not expect the association between scarring and dangerous rhythms to be this strong,” study co-author Dr. Swoboda noted.
The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation, revealed that about 3% of participants had sustained dangerous fast heart rates, while 19% experienced shorter bursts — all linked to ventricular tachycardia stemming from heart scarring.
Should You Hang Up Your Running Shoes?
Not so fast. Despite the concerning findings, researchers aren’t suggesting older athletes abandon their passions. Instead, they recommend more vigilant monitoring.
“Exercise is safe and has immense benefits — but athletes in this group should have regular health checks to make sure they stay healthy,” Javed emphasized.
The team suggests older male athletes with long competitive histories undergo regular cardiovascular screening and pay close attention to symptoms like dizziness or heart palpitations. Wearable devices might play a crucial role in early detection of rhythm problems, tracking heart patterns during and after exercise.
Male endurance athletes over 50 with existing heart muscle scarring appear particularly vulnerable during intense training sessions. That’s especially true for those who’ve maintained high-level athletic pursuits for decades.
The findings highlight a paradox in sports medicine: the very activity that strengthens the heart might, in some cases and with certain predispositions, create conditions for rhythm disturbances. For athletes who’ve spent their lives pushing physical boundaries, the recommendation isn’t to stop — but to add caution to their conditioning.
For now, researchers recommend that older male athletes discuss any cardiac symptoms with healthcare providers — because sometimes, that irregular heartbeat isn’t just from the thrill of the finish line.
