TEDx Talks
3 HN recommenders · recommended in 11 months, 2016–2026
18:11 · 2M views · Nov 28, 2012
Cardiologist James O'Keefe argues in a TEDx talk that moderate running confers the best longevity benefits, while extreme endurance training can damage the heart. He draws on data and his own experience as a lifelong runner.
HN cites it whenever people question whether more exercise is always better, especially extreme endurance running.
11 comments from Hacker News
I think about this TED Talk from 2012 a lot.. and he presents some data. It changed some of my goals, and I’m a bit more multi-sport than I used to be. Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far: James O'Keefe at TED×UMKC this video
On the topic of how overexercise can damage the heart by James OKeefe, a cardiologist and lifetime obsessive runner: Notably he points out that they tested people blood after doing long distance events and found that many of them had chemicals usually found in heart attack victims, indicating heart damage. Basically he says that the long term overexercise/heart damage means the heart muscle constantly has microtears which heal up and the healed tissue is scar tissue which is hard and not like normal heart tissue - much harder and less elastic. So people who overtrain end up with a heart much older than their physical age. this video Transcript: [LINK] Another video: [LINK] And from another author on extreme exercise and the heart: [LINK]
I believe running your heart at such high intensity every day isn't particularly healthy. It causes scarring of the heart tissue and possible problems as you age. I think watching this Ted might be helpful: this video
Here's an interesting video if you are an extreme athlete: it is a cardiac researcher and lifelong exerciser who identifies that such exercise patterns damage the heart: this video
This guy looked at longevity stats for runners. He recommends running a little, not a lot. 2012 TEDx Talk: this video