Exercise Type and Intensity in Relation to Coronary Heart Disease in Men

Abstract

Multiple epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse relationship between physical activity and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Sedentary individuals have almost twice the risk of CHD as those performing high-intensity exercise.^1,2 However, the optimal level of exercise for preventing CHD is unclear. In some studies, the reduction in risk from increased levels of activity appeared to be linear up to a certain level above which there was no further benefit; in others, the effect was restricted to the highest categories of total energy expenditure.³ In addition, the effect of walking is still under debate and the effect of weight training is unknown. In this study, we assessed the association between the amount, types, and intensity of exercise in relation to risk of CHD in a large cohort of men.