Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
This is true, but begs the question. Do you believe that Zinn has increased his risk for "all-cause mortality" in the next 10 years? That study says "no". Remember that people die from all sorts of things. But the more you ride, the longer you'll live - statistically. I'm a member of the largest bike club in the nation, some 13,000+ members. It has had free daily group rides for decades. I know of only 2 people who've died from a coronary on these rides. TdF winners tend to be long lived.
You mention " countless endurance athletes who would push their hearts for 8 hr. straight," yet you don't see studies showing that these countless athletes met an early death, do you? The zonatandem couple are still riding in their mid-80's and they did a heckuva lot of miles.
Fair counterpoint and no solid rebuttal to you Carbonfiberboy,. My personal view is the heart muscle like all muscles change in the body with age due to loss of elasticity.
The heart muscle is arguable the hardest working muscle in the body and what keeps us alive. With combination of muscle degradation and prolonged high intensity usage, it stands to reason this combination maybe problematic. Perhaps you feel what happened to Zinn is merely based upon his genetics. Maybe right. Or...and interaction with his genetics and how he treated his body through prolonged endurance riding.
I take studies with a grain of salt perhaps like you for the simple reason a study doesn't necessarily capture true cause and effect as control parameters tend to be a bit localized.
At the end of the day, people will believe what they like. To me it makes sense that as a heart muscle weakens with age on some level and prolonged high intensity effort is not a good nexus. Lennard Zinn is perhaps the most knowledgable cycling guru we have today in America...our latter day Sheldon Brown. It happened to him and it has happened to others as well. But you make a compelling argument that there isn't real proof.
On the weight lifting front, I have a single data point to share. My cousin. My cousin and I are close genetic equals. We have sought different paths in our fitness goals. He has always been vigilant about his health, diet and lifting. He has a body like a bronze statue into old age. I have never developed my musculature like he has...me pursuing sports more like cycling, swimming, tennis golf, etc. I am not a gym guy...I hate gyms but I am a pool guy. Now in his early 60's, he is starting to have his joints replaced. He knows what he is doing and does not go for size. Again, he looks like an Adonis statue in body shape not like Arnold in his prime though he had a similar shape. Now it could be argued that his joints wore out due to lifting. I know he backed off on weight a lot in later life because we talked about it. He said his joints wouldn't take it. I do light lifting. I know if I push more weight, like 45lb per arm in a curl, my elbow joints rebel and injure easily. So I don't do heavy weights. Even pushups into older age can damage shoulder joints. My shoulders are a bit sensitive based upon too much swimming throughout my life.
The body ages and the joints are the first thing to go. My knees are still hanging in there pretty good. I have never done squats. I am in the camp that if you overload your body with weight, pretty easy to harm joints and less likely to tear muscles but latter still happens. Yes, proper technique is huge.