I had heard one time that Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion, had an unusually strong body and heart that scientists had never seen before. I did not really think much of it though, until I ran across an article.
This article, titled "Tour de France cyclists' hearts bigger than normal" by the Associated Press, explains that the hearts of many athletes, especially cyclists, have larger hearts.
According to some researchers, many cyclists who ride in extremely difficult rides like the Tour de France have unusually large hearts: up to 20-40% larger than most.
According to the article, "Athletes who train hard in aerobic sports, such as cycling, running or swimming, tend to have a bigger heart that pumps more blood throughout the body."
The athletes have better endurance because they have increased air flow throughout their body due to thicker heart walls that can handle more blood flow, according to the article. Cycling is a great way to get in shape because it is an endurance sport- if you can stand riding for hours, you can feel the burn but have fun at the same time. And it is a great heart work out as well.
If you are interested in cycling, check out Lee's Cyclery, a great locally-owned bike shop. Or if buying a bike is not an option, most gyms offer cycling classes which is a fun, great workout.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
This is fantastic.
Great work.
Post a Comment