Apparently in early June. Wishing this legend a speedy recovery!
Dave, rightfully, is very concerned. Wishing him a completely successful repair and quick recovery.
Thanks for sharing. This is very scary. A better understanding of how hard we should workout as we age is needed. We’re all different, and it’s scary to think that we’re doing more harm than good when we’re doing VO2 max intervals in our later years.
When I turned 50 I became very focused on long term heart health. After a brief bout with A-Fib in 2019 I had an echo stress test and calcium score done. I’m keen to get back in for more testing in the next few years as I approach 60.
For the cardiologists out there, how are the issues Scott mentions in his post related to endurance training? Are these issues he might have had to deal with if he hadn’t trained as much as he has?
Best wishes& prayers.
I think more so it’s a great indicator of the benefits of moderation. Nothing wrong with a little VO2 training, but it should be done sparingly, maybe one or two 2-3 week blocks/year max. Endurance rides don’t need to be done exactly at the transition point from z2-z3 they should be done at an RPE where you feel like you can ride for a long time without blowing yourself up. IMO one of the best things for longevity is that you should finish most workouts feeling good, not exhausted.
As a 69 year old who has trained and competed as runner and then triathlete for over 50 plus years, I have been monitored the past two years for aortic aneurysm which has remained stable at 4.2 cm. They test me every 6 months and a surgery is required when the aneurysm reaches 5-5.5 cm. Dave referred his situation as athletic heart so it’s years of heavy training. Once it reaches that point it is determined what kind of damage has occurred and surgery needed. Once it gets to a certain point moderate aerobic exercise and limit lifts to 50 lbs or less. It’s hard to determine where it’s heredity and/or endurance training . People do develop this with out being trained for endurance sports. The best advice is to get checked especially if there’s history of hereditary cardiac issues.
Reading through the comments about one of our heroes of the sport, just a reminder it’s important to avoid either extreme (“his training caused this†vs. “nothing to worry aboutâ€). I had opportunity to participate in a “long term endurance training heart study†through Colorado State University (Barry Braun) about 6 yrs ago. Their conclusion was no conclusive evidence of cause:effect. I’ll reply to this with link to interview we did with researchers for those interested.
Here is link to interview w/ the researchers on Catalyst 360 podcast mentioned above: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bq55NBIgcC9AHwSRRzRSp?si=5i-y314ZQnOu4C03GGB4KA
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I’ve got an ascending aortic aneurysm too and relate to Dave’s words. Having him talk about ratcheting it down resonates. There is no one in the World that has less to prove than Dave. It is so important to know your limitations and respond accordingly to keep yourself alive.
If Dave checks this space, please know we are wishing you the best. You always have been an inspiration, and are one again as someone that confronts this new challenge with the same indomitable spirit.
** I had opportunity to participate in a “long term endurance training heart study†through Colorado State University (Barry Braun) about 6 yrs ago. Their conclusion was no conclusive evidence of cause:effect.//**
You are mostly correct. For the average person who does endurance sports, not much yet to show they are more at risk. The real risk is with the elites, and the folks in the AG’s that race and train like elites. You know, guys like Dave here…Just in my small circle of friends who were/are in that category, it is astonishing the amount of heart anomalies there are. Even the super men like Cameron Brown, or an old swim buddy who won races into his 50’s Alex Kostich, I just saw recently in a hospital gowns getting their hearts worked on. For that cohort it seems to be not a matter of if, but when. Dave made it further than a lot of us, but he really has had this issue for quite sometime I believe. Just now getting to where it is life and death and gotta get it fixed…
I mean really, just about every month now it is someone else going in for ablations, stents, bypasses, or the full Monty that Dave is getting…But I do have to say, my longtime doc told me 40 years ago that what I was doing was not healthy. He had many top athletes in different sports and even back then there were whispers and new studies showing what we all know now. But I suppose it is like a smoker or super junk food eater. You know it is bad, you know it will shorten your life, but it is so far in the future you accept those risks and just continue on. It is the price we pay for bumping up against and sometimes crossing that line. Just glad modern medicine has advanced enough to keep most of us still in the game of life…
Thanks for sharing. This is very scary. A better understanding of how hard we should workout as we age is needed. We’re all different, and it’s scary to think that we’re doing more harm than good when we’re doing VO2 max intervals in our later years.
Is this a fact?
Thanks for sharing. This is very scary. A better understanding of how hard we should workout as we age is needed. We’re all different, and it’s scary to think that we’re doing more harm than good when we’re doing VO2 max intervals in our later years.
Is this a fact?
No, pretty much the opposite. We need a small amount of high intensity as we age…a number of studies indicate that.
Wishing Dave the very best!
It is difficult to analyze all the data and anecdotal reports of the effect of endurance training and competition on heart disease and longevity. Personally, I had WPW features on an EKG more than thirty years ago and now it is gone. I am now a 62 physician and have had occasional palpitations, hypertension and elevated calcium score on screening CT scan. I’ve had the basic cardiac workup with ultrasounds, EKG, and a CT angiogram. I’ve done 8 fulls since 49 years old usually in top 25% or so. I’ve read off/on these reports of increased risk of sudden or premature death of athletes with some interest. I don’t do a lot of high intensity work anymore because I get repeated muscle strains when I do. On the bike, sometimes I hit it a little harder just because. In January, there was the largest ever study on minutes of exercise vs. mortality risk and it showed a reduction of mortality with exercise even at the very high levels. One caveat is that it probably doesn’t include the cohort of people reading this who do really high intensity/hours but I think it is still worth a look Here is the link: https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/massive-study-uncovers-how-much-exercise-needed-live-longer
Wishing Dave the very best!
It is difficult to analyze all the data and anecdotal reports of the effect of endurance training and competition on heart disease and longevity. Personally, I had WPW features on an EKG more than thirty years ago and now it is gone. I am now a 62 physician and have had occasional palpitations, hypertension and elevated calcium score on screening CT scan. I’ve had the basic cardiac workup with ultrasounds, EKG, and a CT angiogram. I’ve done 8 fulls since 49 years old usually in top 25% or so. I’ve read off/on these reports of increased risk of sudden or premature death of athletes with some interest. I don’t do a lot of high intensity work anymore because I get repeated muscle strains when I do. On the bike, sometimes I hit it a little harder just because. In January, there was the largest ever study on minutes of exercise vs. mortality risk and it showed a reduction of mortality with exercise even at the very high levels. One caveat is that it probably doesn’t include the cohort of people reading this who do really high intensity/hours but I think it is still worth a look Here is the link: https://www.ama-assn.org/...e-needed-live-longer
Great article, thanks for posting!!! This assessment goes along with the Framingham Heart Study which found that burning 5000 or more cal/wk in exercise provided the biggest benefit in longevity. I could not find this nugget of info on the current web site but I only looked for a few minutes. This study has been ongoing since 1948. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/framingham-heart-study-fhs
So, funny story. A week+ ago, I was leading a Boulder 70.3 course preview ride for my club, and while we were on 36, a very fit, very tan older guy who looked a LOT like Dave Scott passed by our group. Being we were on 36, I didn’t say anything to him, and sadly, my riders were all too green to know who Dave was, much less recognize him. Later on in the ride, we were on 75th and the same guy passed our group. This time I yelled out “Are you Dave Scott?” and indeed it was! He slowed down and we had a nice little chat. I asked him if he was going to be out cheering at Boulder this year (he was at the corner of 63rd and Diagonal for the bike and cruising the run courses on his gravel bike last year). He admitted he had no idea when the race was b/c he was having open heart surgery in 2 weeks (so a week before Boulder 70.3). He definitely seemed anxious about it.
Seeing this hit home for me.
At only 47 I was Dx with Afib and I have very few contributing factors, the cardiophysiologists believe it is due to endurance training over the decades. I also have the enlarged heart via CT scan but told this is not dangerous in itself, and normal for athletes. I had the Ablation in Dec and I feel great now, getting some of my best training and racing done.
I certainly hope that is the end of my health scares.
Oddly, off slowtwitch and a few running forums, the topic seems to be “not my problem” for the community…even though it is a very real risk.
Wishing Dave the best here. I literally run sometimes imagining I’m running tall like Dave in my visor along Ali’i drive.
I wish him a speedy recovery as well. Being a lifelong athlete, he will have a better chance of a quicker recovery for sure.
BUT, let’s make sure everyone understands that CAD risk does not increase with endurance training or HIT training or any of that. CAD risk happens with age, genetics and all the added risk factors (HTN, DM, hyperlipidemia, as well as the less likely for triathletes-smoking and inactivity). It’s why I preach that everyone should get coronary artery calcium testing done as a routine screening test at some point if you are over 50. Perhaps earlier if there is earlier family history or other added risk.
All endurance athletes have increased risk for afib, but that is not what we are talking about regarding his cardiac surgery. And aortic aneurysms are altogether different as well.
I believe that he would have needed this earlier in his life if he wasn’t an athlete taking better care of himself than most.
The Man will probably be doing 300 watts on his first day out. Hope this don’t slow him down for long.