Heart health is complicated and can be scary, even for runners. Andrea is joined by Dr. Tamanna Singh, MD to unravel the mysteries of cardiac health for endurance athletes. They discuss the biological benefits that running provides the heart, and how we as runners can expect our hearts to change as we train. Dr. Singh gives advice on what to do if you start experiencing cardiac issues, and how to find the right physician for your unique needs as an athlete.

Tamanna Singh, MD, is a clinical cardiologist (heart specialist) and a Co-Director of the Sports Cardiology Center in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Dr. Singh earned her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and served her residency at Boston Medical Center. She served a three-year fellowship in cardiology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, then returned to Boston to complete her specialty training in sports cardiology with the Cardiovascular Performance Program fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. As a sports cardiologist Dr. Singh has provided cardiac care for professional sports teams, competitive and recreational athletes and highly active individuals. She has significant experience in cardiopulmonary exercise testing specifically in athletes and has participated in multiple pre-participation screening events for collegiate and professional athletes to help ensure their safe participation in sports. You can find her online at the Cleveland Clinic's website or her Instagram.

Chapters

0:00 - Intro
3:08 - Getting to know Dr. Singh
08:25 - The Subjective: what is the most important health benefit you get from running?
11:22 - The benefits of regular cardiovascular exercise
14:22 - Recommendations for volume of exercise
19:12 - Cardiac changes in endurance athletes
25:08 - Can years of endurance training cause cardiac problems?
38:04 - Do recreational athletes need a pre-participation cardiac screening?
45:14 - What to do when you start experiencing cardiac symptons
53:55 - How to find a sports cardiologist
56:37 - How does a cardiologist determine appropriate training for a patient
59:25 - COVID and cardiac changes in runners
1:05:08 - Wrap-up

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Episode 401: Comedian (and former magician) George Campbell stops by to chat … and then Chapter One of “The Miser’s Dream.”