10 Golden Rules to Protect Yourself from Sudden Death

Awareness of good practices is essential. Indeed, surveys carried out in various sports populations have highlighted that up to 70% of symptoms are suspicious such as chest pain, arrhythmias or lipothymia (progressive anxiety where the subject has the impression of an empty head, vague visual disturbances, disturbances of consciousness, sweating and need to sleep), or syncope during exercise was also not reported by the athletes. Furthermore, in our experience as a sports cardiologist, we find warning symptoms during the post-accident visit in half of the cases.

10 rules of good sports practice at the cardiovascular level

1 – I report chest pain or any unusual shortness of breath during exercise to my doctor;

2 – I report any heart palpitations during or after exercise;

3- I report any discomfort during or after exercise;

4 – I respect a 10-minute warm-up and cool-down during my sporting activities;

“The risks of angina (associated with a decrease in blood flow to the heart, which can cause chest pain) and heart rhythm disturbances in case of non-compliance with this rule are unknown to athletes,” laments cardiologist Laurent Chevalier. Sports cardiologists. If the risk of vaginal discomfort is known, the rhythmic risk is often overlooked in cases of sudden cessation of intense activity. »

5 – I drink 3 or 4 sips of water every 30 minutes of exercise;

The life-threatening risks induced by dehydration are largely unknown, and include rhythm disturbances, intracoronary thrombus (clots in the arteries of the heart), and renal failure;

6 – I avoid intense activities in temperatures above 5° or 30° and during pollution peaks. Cold and heat are adverse elements for the cardiovascular field, they can promote dehydration, angina (temporary reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle, commonly called “angina pectoris”) and heart rhythm disorders;

7 – I never smoke 1 hour before or 2 hours after practicing sports. “Physical activity-related inflammation and platelet hyperaggregability (blood platelets tend to clump together), which promote clotting,” Dr. Chevalier explains. At the same time, smoking cigarettes causes a vasospastic condition, especially in the arteries of the heart (a sudden and temporary contraction of blood vessels, often associated with an overreaction of the nervous system, causing spasms, editor’s note). »

The result: with a more viscous blood circulation in the coronary arteries of small diameter: everything is in place for the coronary arteries to close (we speak of “occlusive thrombus”);

8 – I never consume doping substances and I avoid self-medication. The deleterious effects of doping products on the cardiovascular field have been numerous and demonstrated. These are prothrombotic effects (blocking clots in the arteries and blocking blood flow to the heart), pro-arrhythmic effects (causing disturbances in heart rhythm), vaso effects – spasticity (constriction of blood vessels), toxic effects on the heart muscle, induced. High blood pressure, etc. In addition to the long-term risk, the risk of an acute accident is significant, especially during exercise.

9 – I do not practice intense sports if I have a fever or within 8 days after a flu episode. The symptomatic presence of the virus in the tonsils or trachea may be accompanied by the presence of the same virus, but silently, in the heart (myocardium). However, the induced inflammation (then we talk about myocarditis) creates a favorable environment for the occurrence of rhythm disorder of the cardiac ventricle, which is fatal during exercise. Even when the heart is healthy.

10 – I request a medical examination before resuming intense sports activity (after 35 years for men and 45 years for women).

To learn more: Website of the Club des Cardiologists du Sport

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