Dr. Aaron Baggish of the Massachusetts General Heart Center talks to Adam about studying the effects of exercise on the human heart. The sole function of the heart is to pump blood to body tissues such as muscles, supplying them with the oxygen and nutrients necessary to do their jobs. Like exercising any other muscle, working the heart harder and harder causes it to thicken, enlarge, and change how it functions. Whereas short, repetitive activities will thicken the heart's walls, extended endurance activities will widen its chambers. While the Heart Center's research focuses most prominently on the hearts of professional athletes, its findings will ultimately provide knowledge to all kinds of exercisers, ranging from professional to recreational. Join Adam as he learns the changes that exercise produces in the heart as well as what it takes to maintain a healthy heart. [05:31]
