Tour cyclists have bigger hearts: study

Scientists have long noticed the phenomenon of the “athlete’s heart.” Athletes, who train in aerobic sports, like cycling, running or swimming, tend to have a bigger heart that pumps more blood.

The heart’s walls become thicker to be able to handle the increased blood volume. That gives the athletes an edge by increasing their oxygen levels and improving their endurance.

According to medical tests done on all Tour de France cyclists before the race begins, Carre said, virtually all have enlarged hearts. “When you see an athlete’s heart test, you know right away that it’s not a normal person,” he said.

In his study, Carre tracked seven former pro cyclists through their final year of competition and three years of retirement. Carre found that the athletes’ hearts shrank nearly a quarter in size after they finished riding professionally.

Dr Alfred Bove, physician for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team said that in athletes with bigger hearts, doping could prove potentially more dangerous than for normal people.