In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I speak to sports cardiologist Dr Jonathan Kim. We start off exploring the new field of sports cardiology, and how it’s evolved recently with rising awareness of heart conditions in athletes. Exercise results in adaptations to the heart that are normally beneficial, such as lower resting heart rates and increased cardiac muscle strength, otherwise known as “athlete’s heart”, however, as Dr Kim explains, some changes in the heart can pose risks and indicate underlying problems. We discuss cardiac fatigue following strenuous events like a marathon, underlying the importance of taking enough rest to fully recover.
It’s not just older individuals at risk of heart problems, in fact, even the youngest and fittest athletes can be at risk. Dr Kim outlines causes of heart conditions independent of age and fitness related to genetic and inherited pathways: knowing your family history is the best prevention tool. Cardiac issues can also be acquired and athletes aren’t immune! While exercise certainly is medicine, it is not a cure-all or vaccine against disease!
This episode covers some of the warning signs of cardiac illness, many of which overlap with the symptoms of REDS: exercise intolerance, increased RPE, decreased performance and motivation, and increased fatigue. Chest pain is not always present! Working with a team of professionals -cardiologists, dietitians and psychologists- is important in understanding the cause of symptoms: REDS, a heart condition, and/or something else. Other more specific signs requiring medical attention include unexplained breathlessness, chest tightness when warming up (even if it goes away during exercise), and lightheadedness/ fainting.
We touch on returning to exercise post Covid-19 for both asymptomatic and symptomatic cases, and Dr Kim provides reassurance and comfort debunking the extremely conservative advice that was initially circulating. By resting until asymptomatic for 3 days, before gradually progressing training load, the majority of people can return to their usual activity levels in just a few weeks (disclaimer: every case is different of course).
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Follow Dr Jonathan Kim on Twitter @jonathankimmd
Dr Kim’s Official Bio:
Dr. Kim is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Chief of Sports Cardiology in the Division of Cardiology and Orthopedics at Emory University and additionally holds an adjunct Professorship in the School of Applied Physiology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his Bachelor of Science at Emory and was a Fulbright Scholar before attending Vanderbilt Medical School. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital and cardiology fellowship at Emory (Dr. Kim was chief fellow at Emory 2013-14). In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Kim conducts NIH-funded sports cardiology research at Emory. He is the Team Cardiologist for the Falcons, Braves, Hawks, Dream, Sports Medicine at Emory and Georgia Tech, and is a member of the NBA Cardiac Advisory Committee, NFL Cardiovascular Task Force, and the American College of Cardiology’s Sports and Exercise Council. He is also a consultant for Major League Baseball. He is the Co-Medical Director for the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA.
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