Ask the doctor: Is a lot of exercise bad for the heart?

Ask the doctor

Is a lot of exercise bad for the heart?

Q. I know that exercise is good for my heart, which is one reason why I took up long-distance running. But I have heard that marathon running damages the heart. Is that true?

A. Your question, variations of which have been batted around for more than a century, doesn't yet have a simple answer.

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