Your Heart Is Like A Car Engine. Unleash Its Power!

Some hearts are built like a F1 engine, while others can only power a lawnmower. Which one is yours?

Living With Genes Newsletter | Issue #4 — Your Heart Is Like A Car Engine. Unleash Its Power!

Running.

It is an activity that people either love or hate; but nearly everyone has engaged in it at some point of their lives.

Ever since Homo sapiens emerged from Africa 250,000 years ago, we have been running.

Since prehistoric times, mankind has been built for running. Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

Whether it is running after a wooly mammoth (for food), or running away from a sabretooth tiger (to avoid becoming food), it is undeniable that running is in our DNA.

In fact, running has become a global phenomenon today.

Many do it for a sense of accomplishment, and as a means to enhance their health and fitness. For some, it’s a social activity that fosters stronger bonds with friends.

However, running does have its risk.

According to global statistics, “cardiac arrest” ranks as the number one cause of death among marathon runners. [1]

In Singapore, close to 40,000 runners took to the streets at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) in Dec 2022, including more than 5,000 international participants. Photo source from Singapore Tourism Board via VisitSingapore.

But if running has been scientifically proven to enhance heart health through exercise, why are these incidents happening?

The answer lies in the genetic makeup of our heart, and to properly explain it, let’s use the analogy of a car engine…

Your Heart, The Engine Of Your Life

Our heart pumps blood throughout our body, supplying oxygen as an energy source for our muscles to function.

Yes, our heart is like an engine.

Similar to car engines, our heart powers our body and enable it to function and move. If petrol is the fuel for a car, then blood is the fuel for our body.

In fact, our heart resembles a car engine in more ways than one.

Our heart has 5 main similarities to a car engine. Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

1. Both hearts and engines act like pumps.
2. Both hearts and engines require electricity to operate.
3. Both hearts and engines have multiple chambers.
4. Both hearts and engines have internal valves.
5. Both hearts and engines are built to be highly robust.

However, which type of heart “engine” is fueling your life?

Imagine if we compared the makeup of your heart to different types of engines, each with different power output and limitations, would you know which type you are born with? Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

This is an important question because the type of heart (engine) you’re born with determines your fitness potential and associated risks.

Imagine this.

If you are born with a heart like an F1 car engine, you might possess exceptional anaerobic capacity for speed. However, F1 engines consume a tremendous amount of fuel to provide such energy and are typically unable to sustain for long distances.

Let’s compare the fuel consumption between these 2 cars below:

F1 Car : 360 km/Hour (Max Speed) | 75 Litres/100km (Fuel Consumption)

Sedan Car : 190 km/Hour (Max Speed) | 7 Litres/100km (Fuel Consumption)

While an F1 car can move 2x faster than a Sedan car, it also burns 10x more fuel.

If your heart is like a F1 engine, it may give you explosive speed compared to a Sedan engine which offers you reliable performance over long distances. Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

Based on this example, if we were to push the F1 car to drive long distances, the engine would quickly overload and burn out. In a biological context, it also means we suffer a Heart Attack, or a Cardiac Arrest.

Heart Engine Failure = Heart Attack Or Cardiac Arrest

90% of people can survive a heart attack. However, less than 10% of people can survive a sudden cardiac arrest.

To be clear, a heart attack is not the same as a cardiac arrest.

Even though many people use these 2 terms interchangeably, that is medically incorrect.

Many people do not understand that there is a difference between a Heart Attack, and a Cardiac Arrest. Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

Heart Attack occurs when there is a “plumbing” problem with your heart.

Just as dirt and grease can accumulate in a car engine and cause it to fail, our hearts can accumulate fat and cholesterol inside our arteries that blocks out blood supply. When this happens, a heart attack (also known as myocardial infarction) occurs.

Cardiac Arrest, however, stems from an “electrical” problem.

Similar to how a car requires an electrical spark to jumpstart the engine, our heart requires electrical impulses to trigger and regulate our heartbeats. But when our electrical system malfunctions, abnormal heart rhythms can occur; leading to a cardiac arrest.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen anytime during exercise, rest, or even in the middle of sleeping. Risk factors include prior heart diseases, and genetic influences. Extracted from my corporate presentation deck titled ‘Powers of Personalization’

Indeed, a cardiac arrest is one of the most deadly problem facing society today. It can happen suddenly, and often with no obvious warning.

To avoid this, many fitness enthusiasts turn to specialized training that tracks their “heart rate” within specific “zones” to reduce their risk.

However….

Modern Heart Rate Tracking Is Not Enough

Heart rate training is personalized according to individual vitals like age and gender to ensure that every workout is safe, efficient and effective.

Modern heart rate zone training has gained popularity as a means to monitor and improve cardiovascular health. Below, you’ll find a chart illustrating the various Heart Rate Zones used by many fitness professionals for their training.

A general rule of thumb for training is to find our maximum heart rate by taking 220 and subtracting it with our age. Image source from Ohiohealth.

However, relying solely on heart rate zone training may not provide sufficient protection against the risk of heart failure. For some, it can even be dangerous.

Why?

Because heart rate zone training focuses primarily on heart rate during exercise. It does not consider the “electrical” and “blood pressure” component of our heart.

Many believe that by following training zones, they are taking adequate steps to protect their hearts. Unfortunately, this false sense of security can be dangerous as individuals with underlying heart conditions or genetic predispositions may not seek preventive screenings before embarking on a high intensity training plan.

Overtraining from a high intensity training plan, without a comprehensive understanding of their heart’s condition, can then lead to heart tissue scarring.

When the heart endures extreme physical stress over and over, the temporary damage may lead to remodeling of the heart or physical changes such as thicker heart walls and scarring of the heart. Image source from Baptist Health

Once formed, these scar tissues persist for life, reducing our heart’s ability to pump blood. People who develop larger scars then run a higher risk of heart failure. [2]

The accumulation of such cardiac risk is hidden; a walking time bomb…

So, what is the solution?

Unlock The Makeup Of Your Heart

Up to 80% of your athletic potential is from genetics. Your genes govern your sports performance and your risks. [3]

In recent years, the field of genetic research has made significant strides in understanding the intricate makeup of our hearts. This emerging area of study allows us to find individual risk factors, potential vulnerabilities, and how our genetic predispositions can influence our heart health.

Unlocking the genetic makeup of our heart therefore presents a promising opportunity to control our Genetic Multiplier for exercise potential, and the risks associated with it.

The “Endurance” trait can reveal insights on how much we can push ourselves for long marathon runs without damaging our heart. Genetic report source from eBeauty DNA. Extracted from my corporate presentation deck titled ‘Powers of Personalization’.

For individuals with higher genetic risk, these insights can lead to early intervention on hidden issues before they can become critical.

Moreover, our genes can reveal how our bodies react to various forms of exercises, our ideal training intensity, and the risk of overtraining. These genetic insights can grant us the opportunity for personalized exercise plans, allowing us to fine-tune our workout routines that aligns with our unique genetic profile.

These 2 athletes may have different cardiac potential and risks that they are not aware of. Being able to train according to their genetic “strengths” and “weaknesses” will make their training safer, and more effective. Image source from Lovepik.

Indeed, I firmly believe that integrating genetic insights into fitness regimens represent the future of sports training and takes a more holistic approach toward our overall well-being.

Nonetheless, it is also important to add that genetic coaching should be done with accredited fitness coaches to ensure the most positive outcome for your health and fitness goals.

In conclusion, let us…

Embrace A More Heartening Future

We only have one heart and one life. Our future depends on our actions today.

Remember that your heart is the most vital organ in your body. Just as regular car maintenance prolongs the life of your car, consistently caring for your heart will help prolong your life.

Hitting your fitness goals can be easier if you use personalized plans based on your genetics. Why go “Generic” when you can go “Genetic”. Extracted from my corporate presentation deck titled ‘Powers of Personalization’.

While heart rate zone training and genetic testing offer valuable insights for that, they are fundamentally just pieces of a larger puzzle.

The overall well-being of your heart depends on regular exercise, balanced diet, and proper stress management.

With the right approach, you can reduce the risk of heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest, enhance your exercise performance, and achieve your fitness goals safer, and faster.

So, take that first step towards a healthier heart today, and let your genetic insights guide you towards a brighter, heart-healthy future!

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Disclaimer: The content in this article is intended solely for informational purposes and may contain outdated information after the date of publishing that doesn’t reflect the latest scientific advancements. The content is presented “as is” and is not guaranteed to be complete or up-to-date.

Sources :

• [1] 2022, Runsociety, Why Do Fit Runners Suddenly Die While Running Marathons (link)
• [2] 2020, UCLA Health, How the body regulates scar tissue growth after heart attacks (link)
• [3] 2022, National Library of Medicine, Is athletic performance determined by genetics? (link)