#87 - Exercise and sports cardiology with Professor Paul D. Thompson

Dr Glenn McConell chats with Professor Paul D. Thompson who is Chief of Cardiology, Emeritus at Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT and Professor of Medicine, Emeritus at the University of Connecticut. He has published over 500 peer reviewed journal articles, was a past President of the American College of sports medicine (ACSM) and was a impressively fast marathon runner. This is the third of a series of podcast episodes on sport cardiology (See Professor Benjamin Levine and Associate Professor Andre La Gerche’s episodes). We covered a lot of ground. There is a greater prevalence of atrial fibrillation in athletes (is it due to larger hearts?). We discussed possible reasons why coronary artery calcium/calcification is higher in athletes. He recommends 8000 steps done vigorously per day. Exercise is very important for your health. What exercise to do depends on your goals and health status. See time stamps further much more. We discuss his free substack called 500 rules of cardiology.0:00. Introduction2:40. Previous IE podcast episodes on sports cardiology5:30. Worked with ex physiol legend David Costill8:00. Ex physiol legend Bengt Saltin9:00. More than 500 publications, importance of collaboration10:45. Can exercise have negative effects on the heart?13:00. More atrial fibrillation in athletes (due to larger hearts?)20:30. Genetics and exercise25:15. Was excellent marathoner27:30. Exercise and right ventricle “fatigue”32:00. Genetics, exercise and longevity34:10. Cut off points/prevalence of increased risk of atrial fibrillation36:26. Atrial fibrillation, blood thinners and strokes39:30. Daily aspirin and heart risk42:42. Why coronary artery calcium/calcification (CAC) higher in athletes?48:40. Sex differences51:03. Less heart beats per day in endurance athletes53:40. Athletes, higher CAC and cardiovascular events56:15. Exercise reduces cardiovascular events58:30. Almost never restricts exercise in patients1:00:20. Rationale to train hard1:02:30. Most bang for your buck if less fit to start with1:05:30. Cadence and turbulence in artery1:09:30. Better athletes have more heart issues1:11:40. Exercise intensity and coronary calcification1:13:55. Walking and the heart1:18:00. Fit handle operations/illnesses better1:20:17. Statins and muscle pain /cholesterol1:24:15. Medications vs lifestyle in diabetes1:26:32. Metformin and exercise adaptations1:27:15. Sudden death during exercise1:29:25. Coronary narrowing and heart attacks1:31:45. Best athletes have larger aortas1:35:20. Intermittent fasting /ketosis1:38:45. Exercise intensity and heart adaptations1:39:40. Pay attention to symptoms1:41:55. Broke his hip in a bike accident, cycles now1:43:25. Exercise training early in life /epigenetics1:47:05. Drugs and exercise performance1:49:20. Environmental factors: eg walking to school1:51:52. Cardiac sex differences re exercise1:54:05. Wise advice1:58:45. Be mindful of the media’s take on exercise2:00:25. Takeaway messages2:02:12. His free substack 500 rules of cardiology2:02:59. Outro Inside Exercise brings to you the who's who of research in exercise metabolism, exercise physiology and exercise’s effects on health. With scientific rigor, these researchers discuss popular exercise topics while providing practical strategies for all.The interviewer, Emeritus Professor Glenn McConell, has an international research profile following 30 years of Exercise Metabolism research experience while at The University of Melbourne, Ball State University, Monash University, the University of Copenhagen and Victoria University.He has published over 120 peer reviewed journal articles and recently edited an Exercise Metabolism eBook written by world experts on 17 different topics (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94305-9).Connect with Inside Exercise and Glenn McConell at:Twitter: @Inside_exercise and @GlennMcConell1Instagram: insideexerciseFacebook: Glenn McConellLinkedIn: Glenn McConell https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-mcconell-83475460ResearchGate: Glenn McConellEmail: [email protected] to Inside exercise:Spotify: shorturl.at/tyGHLApple Podcasts: shorturl.at/oFQRUYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@insideexerciseAnchor: https://anchor.fm/insideexerciseGoogle Podcasts: shorturl.at/bfhHIAnchor: https://anchor.fm/insideexercisePodcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4025218Not medical advice