Strenuous physical activity: The risk of stroke lurks

Exercising helps improve health, but overdoing it or exercising incorrectly can cause serious consequences, even strokes and sudden death that are life-threatening. So what is the safe limit?

Dangers of high intensity physical exercise

Vigorous physical activity, whether indoors or outdoors, if not done properly can lead to serious consequences. Most recently, a 20-year-old man in Hanoi suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while working out at the gym, showing the risk of dangerous arrhythmia during strenuous exercise.

Specialist Doctor 2 Phan Tat Khanh Duong, Department of Internal Medicine, Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital, said that some serious heart rhythm disorders such as Brugada syndrome, long QT syndrome, or idiopathic ventricular fibrillation can cause sudden cardiac arrest without warning signs. These diseases are often related to genetic abnormalities and can only be detected through in-depth cardiovascular screening.

The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that sudden cardiac arrest accounts for about 356,000 cases per year in the US, of which 5-10% occur in people under 35 years old, often related to strenuous exercise.

When exercising, you need to pay special attention to warning signs such as dizziness, headache, prolonged cramps, abnormally fast heartbeat...

Illustration: AI

"Listen" to your body, don't try to exceed your limits.

It is recommended that adults should exercise for about 5 hours/week at moderate intensity or 2.5 hours at high intensity. Children and adolescents should exercise for about 60 minutes/session, at least 3 times/week. Exercising excessively without adequate rest can easily lead to physiological overload.

During high-intensity exercise, the heart rate increases (up to 150-200 beats/minute), and the need for oxygen increases 4-6 times compared to resting. If the body lacks water, electrolytes (sodium, potassium), or has an underlying cardiovascular disease, the circulatory system cannot respond in time, leading to myocardial ischemia, arrhythmia, or cardiac arrest.

In the case of a 20-year-old man who suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest, doctors determined the cause to be idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, a condition common in young men without obvious signs of structural heart abnormalities or metabolic disorders. Fortunately, the medical team arrived on the scene in time and performed three defibrillations. However, the patient's survival rate depends largely on the correct first aid during the first "golden 15 minutes".

When exercising , pay special attention to warning signs such as dizziness, headache, prolonged cramps, abnormally fast heartbeat or feeling short of breath.

"If chest pain persists for more than 10-15 minutes or is accompanied by difficulty breathing, you should stop exercising immediately and go to a medical facility for timely examination, because it could be a sign of a serious condition such as arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, or other vascular events. The gym staff's quick chest compressions and timely call to 115 saved the 20-year-old man's life. Quick response is a vital factor," Dr. Duong shared.

According to Dr. Duong, regular cardiovascular screening is extremely important, especially for people who regularly exercise at high intensity, people over 40 years old and people with a history of heart disease. This is an effective way to detect early abnormalities in genes or heart structure, thereby being able to proactively prevent them in time.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/van-dong-the-luc-gang-suc-nguy-co-dot-quy-rinh-rap-185250807110753346.htm