On Fri, 21 Jan 2000, S.B. Feldman wrote:

>  however.  The slower heartbeat is a
>  consequence of the heart having become enlarged from much aerobic
>  work.
>
> ..2..The enlargement is not a cosequence of aerobics; the slower heartbeat or
> pulse rate reflects greater efficiency

Yes, but what makes the heart more efficient?  It has been a long
time since I read about this stuff, but what I recall is that the
increased efficiency is mainly the result of greater stroke
volume.  This is the result of enlargement, in highly aerobically
trained individuals.

>   But the size of a heart is not an indicator of its health. >>
>
> .3...an enlarged heart is not a sign of health but a sign of disease.

Is that categorically true?  I'll have to do some digging, but
I'm pretty sure that enlargement is not unusual in people who do
a lot of aerobics, and not pathological either.  When it occurs
in untrained people, that's something else again.

Todd Moody
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