Too much exercise can kill you. Despite their lean looks and healthy glow, many athletes in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are damaging their hearts by repeatedly pushing to extremes. Training hard for top performance can cause abnormal heart rhythms, called arrhythmias, and these heart conditions can be deadly. Moreover, they are being diagnosed in an alarming number of athletes.
The Haywire Heart is a groundbreaking examination of heart conditions in athletes. Intended for anyone over age 30 who competes in endurance sports like bike races, triathlons, running events and ultrarunning, and cross-country skiing, The Haywire Heart presents new evidence that going too hard or too long can damage your heart forever. Authors Chris Case, John Mandrola, MD, and Lennard Zinn show athletes what to watch for and how to protect their hearts so they can enjoy the sports they love for the rest of their lives. The Haywire Heart is now available in bookstores; in bike, tri, running, and cross-country ski stores; and online. Learn more, see the warning signs, take an exercise addiction quiz, and read several online excerpts at velopress.com/haywire.
Older athletes are pushing their bodies harder than ever in the hope that exercise will keep them healthy and strong into their later years. But The Haywire Heart is the first book to examine the latest findings and reveal a paradoxical truth: Too much exercise, especially at a high and sustained level, can damage your heart irreparably, and sometimes fatally.
The Haywire Heart shares the developing research into a group of conditions known as “athlete’s heart”, starting with a wide-ranging look at the symptoms and how to recognize your potential risk. Leading cardiac electrophysiologist and masters athlete Dr. John Mandrola explores the prevention and treatment of heart conditions in athletes like arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation and flutter, tachycardia, hypertrophy, and coronary artery disease. Case studies present vivid illustrations of the range of conditions facing athletes. A frank discussion of exercise addiction and comprehensive advice on how to talk with your doctor about your condition preface an encouraging review of the treatment options. Athletes will learn about heart irritants, training and rest modifications, effective medications, and safe supplements that can reduce the likelihood of heart damage during exercise.
The Haywire Heart is a groundbreaking and critically important guide to heart care for athletes. By protecting their hearts now and watching for the warning signs, athletes can avoid crippling heart conditions and continue to exercise and compete for years to come.
Chris Case is the managing editor of VeloNews, and author of “Cycling to Extremes,” the groundbreaking VeloNews story that brought the problem of the athlete’s heart to widespread attention. Case holds a B.S. in Neuroscience and has conducted research at the National Institute of Mental Health. He is a former state champion runner and has medaled at the U.S. national cyclocross championships and master’s world championships.
John Mandrola, MD, is a cardiac electrophysiologist and an active cyclist who had atrial fibrillation. He works in a private cardiology practice where he specializes in heart rhythm disorders. He is Chief Cardiology Correspondent for Medscape, the leading online resource for physicians and healthcare professionals who seek medical news and expert perspectives. He is also a regular columnist for theHeart.org and VeloNews magazine.
Lennard Zinn was a member of the U.S. national cycling team and is a lifelong endurance athlete. He has reported on major stories for VeloNews for 30 years and is the author of the world’s best-selling guide to bicycle maintenance and repair. Linn has a degree in physics and has built custom bicycles for over 30 years.
The Haywire Heart: How too much exercise can kill you, and what you can do to protect your heart Chris Case, Dr. John Mandrola, and Lennard Zinn Hardcover with jacket. Color interior with illustrations. | 6″ x 9″, 320 pp., $24.95, 9781937715670
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