Zorba Paster: Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Exercise?

Dear Doc: I recently read an article about how too much exercise isn’t good. I run every day, have for many years, and wonder if I’m doing some harm.

I’m a 55-year-old woman who ran track in college. I love my run — while it strengthens my body, it clears my mind.

My mom has osteoporosis. I know that “weight-bearing” exercise is good. Running hits the sweet spot. But am I doing too much? — Jennifer from Jacksonville, Fla.

Dear Jennifer: The article came from a recent study published in the journal “Circulation.” It implied there is such a thing as too much strenuous exercise.

As a former member of the “jogging lobby,” I find it difficult to get my arms around that idea. I’ve always assumed the more exercise you get, the better off you are. No pain, no gain. There can’t possibly be too much of a good thing, right?

So let’s start with the study. It’s not junk research. It’s good research published in a reliable, prestigious, peer-reviewed journal. Top-tier.

They analyzed data from a nearly decade-long British study of 1 million women, age 50 to 65, who recorded what they ate, how they exercised, when they were hospitalized, etc. Women who engaged in strenuous exercise — defined in general terms as sweating or having a “fast heart beat” four to seven times a week — had an increase in vascular disease.

An increase, really? Yes! An increase in heart attacks, strokes and blood clots, compared with women who engaged in strenuous exercise two to three times a week. There was a drop-off in the “exercise effect.”

Now on to the caveats. Every woman who exercised, no matter what, had better health and less disease than couch-potato slugs.

All who exercised experienced adverse events compared to non-exercisers here. This held true, too.

But for those who did strenuous exercise defined as “sweating or causing a fast heart beat,” the advantage disappeared after two to three sessions and, at four to seven sessions, such exercise caused events.

The “non-strenuous” exercise was gardening, puttering and doing house work, walking rather than running or jogging, etc.

The editorial that accompanied the research said perhaps there is an optimal amount of strenuous exercise and that the effect drops off, and perhaps might harm, people over 50.

He called for more research, to which I say, here, here!

My spin: Exercise is good. Too much strenuous exercise may not be good.