#164 The Science of Cardiac Health for Runners, with Dr. Tamanna Singh

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 This episode is sponsored by Running Warehouse. Tis the season for runners with holidays around the corner. Whether you are shopping for your favorite runner in your life or want to treat yo self, Running Warehouse has got you covered with their official 2023 holiday gift guide. Goodr’s sunglasses are always a go-to for us. Their sunglasses come in endless design options and are something that runners will never argue about having multiple pairs of. The Naked Band isn’t just a gift, it’s a life changer for the way it lets runners take all the things on the run while making it compact and completely unobtrusive. Finally, you must go search for the Ciele Holiday Cap in Iconic Athletics-Folia color. It is amazing and we love that it exists. New from our favorite headgear company, this hat is both perfect for dead of winter runs and your next Christmas Story party all at once. Head over to Running Warehouse’s Holiday Gift Guide to check all of this out and much, much more.