ergo-log.com

Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "

21.02.2019

The more pushups men are able to complete, the smaller their chance of having a heart attack or stroke

Men who can complete more than 40 pushups don't need to worry about their cardiovascular health. The more pushups men can make, the smaller their chances of a heart attack or stroke, researchers at the University of Harvard discovered.

Study
The researchers used data from 1,104 male fire fighters with an average age of 39. The researchers determined the amount of pushups the men were able to complete, and then followed the men for up to 10 years.

Results
The more pushups often the men could make, the smaller were their chances of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease-related outcome. Men who were able to complete 40 or more pushups had 96 percent less chance of a cardiovascular disease-related outcome than men who could make fewer than 10 pushups.

During the 10 years that the study ran, the researchers found 37 cardiovascular disease-related outcomes. Only one of these cases related to a participant who could make more than 40 pushups.

Of course, it could be that men who can make a lot of pushups are slimmer, or younger, than men who can make little pushups. But when the researchers brushed away the effects of BMI and age with some statistical tricks, the number of pushups was still a protective factor.

Conclusion
"Our findings provide evidence that pushup capacity could be an easy, no-cost method to help assess cardiovascular disease risk in almost any setting", says lead author Justin Yang in a press release. [sciencedaily.com February 16, 2019] "Surprisingly, pushup capacity was more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risk than the results of submaximal treadmill tests."

"This study emphasizes the importance of physical fitness on health, and why clinicians should assess fitness during clinical encounters", adds research leader Stefanos Kales.

Source:
JAMA Network Open. 2019;2(2):e188341.

More:
Exercise reduces blood pressure as much as medication 29.12.2018
This cardio training schedule reverses cardiovascular aging 23.01.2018
High blood pressure? Get fit and live longer 12.08.2014

Archives:
Cardiovascular Health
Pushups

How to train the upper chest with pushups Thanks to sports scientists at Inje University in South Korea, we now know that the good old pushup is far more versatile than we realized.	Best pushups achieved with hands close together The push-up may well be the first exercise that humans thought up to make their body stronger. Athletes who train at home can build up a surprising amount of strength with this simple exercise.	Make your pushups more effective with suspension straps If you train at home and have a little money to spare, along with a safe spot on your ceiling to attach it, you might consider buying a suspension trainer.