No cardiac damage after endurance exercise in cardiologists cycling to the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Barcelona

There are variable results reported for athletes and potential cardiac damage during exercise. In 2009 a group of cardiologists went by bicycle from the Netherlands to the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Barcelona and collected functional and biochemical parameters during this trip in order to evaluate whether cardiac damage was observed in a group of moderately trained amateur cyclists.

All of the 20 amateur cyclists (17 men) completed the 1580 km in eight days with an average speed of 27.9 km and an average distance of 190 km/day. Cardiac damage was predefined as wall motion abnormalities detected by echocardiography or an increase of troponin I exceeding three times the upper limit. Although skeletal muscle damage was found in all of the cyclists, no cardiac damage could be detected.

This long distance bicycle trip performed by moderately trained cardiologists demonstrates that it was safe and feasible and did not lead to cardiac damage although skeletal muscle damage was demonstrated in all participants.