Latest news with #triathletes
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Paris welcomes swimmers back to the Seine after a century-long wait
The Seine in Paris, France, is open again for public swimming. This is the first time in over a hundred years that bathers can take a dip in the famed river. The Seine had been closed to the public since 1923 – more than a century. A 95-year-old Parisian was among the first to take the plunge at a newly opened swimming zone in the east of the French capital. It is one of three sites in the city where visitors can officially hop in the Seine. The swimming zones come with changing rooms, showers and beach-style furniture. The river was specially cleaned for the 2024 summer Olympics in Paris, where it was used by open-water swimmers and triathletes. Now, around 150 to 300 people can relax, lay out their towels and unwind from the city's hustle and bustle.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Heart issues among endurance athletes studied by scientists
Older male endurance athletes may be at higher risk of heart scarring and related complications, according to a new study. Sudden cardiac death is a 'leading cause of mortality' in athletes, experts said as they set out to investigate whether endurance athletes had heart scarring and linked heart rhythm problems. Academics studied 106 former competitive cyclists and triathletes who exercise for more than 10 hours a week for at least 15 years. Experts from the University of Leeds scanned their hearts and had an implantable loop recorder fitted to assess their heart rhythms. They found that 50 of the 106 athletes (47%) had scarring on their hearts, particularly in the left ventricle – the main pumping chamber of the heart. This compares to 11% of 27 non endurance athletes studied for comparison. During a two-year follow up period they found that 22% of the athletes had an abnormal heart rhythm, according to the study which was funded by the the British Heart Foundation and published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. They concluded that the athletes who had heart scarring were over 4.5 times more likely to experience an abnormal heart rhythm episode – which is linked with an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest – compared to those without scarring. It is thought that among endurance athletes scarring could be caused by levels of exercise when the heart has to work even harder to pump blood. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, said: 'There's no doubt that exercise is good for our hearts – it helps to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, manage our weight, and it boosts our mental health. 'But in some veteran male athletes, this early research suggests that intense exercise over many years may have affected their heart health. 'More research in veteran endurance athletes – both in men and women – will be needed to identify the small number of people who have the kind of heart scarring, together with other risk factors, that mean their life could be saved by having an implantable defibrillator.' One of the athletes who took part in the trial was Brian Cookson, keen cyclist and former president of British Cycling and Union Cycliste Internationale – cycling's world governing body. The 74-year-old grandfather from Whalley, Lancashire, said the trial could have saved his life. While training at the Manchester Velodrome he started feeling unwell and his sports watch recorded his heart rate had reached 238 beats per minute (bpm), and stayed that way for around 15 minutes. 'I was pushing it a little bit on the track, but not absolutely full gas, as we say in cycling,' Mr Cookson said. He contacted the team involved with the study who reviewed data from his implanted device to record his heart rhythm. They were able to see he had suffered an episode of ventricular tachycardia – an abnormally fast heartbeat where the heart's ventricles contract too quickly and do not pump blood around the body effectively. 'The next day, I got a call. They said, 'Stop riding your bike, don't do anything more strenuous than walking until we can get you in here because we think you need an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)',' he said. He was fitted with one of the devices in August last year which shocks the heart if it goes into an abnormal rhythm. Mr Cookson, who is still cycling, said: 'I keep a closer eye on my heart rate now and if I'm getting to 150bpm I'll start backing off. 'I'm so grateful to have been part of this study. It might well have saved my life. 'Without it, I might have carried on pushing myself until something more serious happened.' Dr Peter Swoboda, associate professor in cardiology and consultant cardiologist at the University of Leeds, who led the study, said: 'In our study, the athletes who experienced dangerous heart rhythms often had symptoms first. 'I'd encourage anyone who experiences blackouts, dizziness, chest pain or breathlessness, whether during sport or at rest, to speak to their doctor and get it checked out. 'These results shouldn't put people off regular exercise. 'Our study focused on a very select group, and not all the athletes involved were found to have scarring in their hearts. We can all benefit from being more active, and this study is an important step towards helping people take part in sport as safely as possible.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
7 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Heart issues among endurance athletes studied by scientists
Older male endurance athletes may be at higher risk of heart scarring and related complications, according to a new study. Sudden cardiac death is a 'leading cause of mortality' in athletes, experts said as they set out to investigate whether endurance athletes had heart scarring and linked heart rhythm problems. Academics studied 106 former competitive cyclists and triathletes who exercise for more than 10 hours a week for at least 15 years. Experts from the University of Leeds scanned their hearts and had an implantable loop recorder fitted to assess their heart rhythms. They found that 50 of the 106 athletes (47%) had scarring on their hearts, particularly in the left ventricle – the main pumping chamber of the heart. This compares to 11% of 27 non endurance athletes studied for comparison. During a two-year follow up period they found that 22% of the athletes had an abnormal heart rhythm, according to the study which was funded by the the British Heart Foundation and published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. They concluded that the athletes who had heart scarring were over 4.5 times more likely to experience an abnormal heart rhythm episode – which is linked with an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest – compared to those without scarring. It is thought that among endurance athletes scarring could be caused by levels of exercise when the heart has to work even harder to pump blood. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, said: 'There's no doubt that exercise is good for our hearts – it helps to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, manage our weight, and it boosts our mental health. 'But in some veteran male athletes, this early research suggests that intense exercise over many years may have affected their heart health. 'More research in veteran endurance athletes – both in men and women – will be needed to identify the small number of people who have the kind of heart scarring, together with other risk factors, that mean their life could be saved by having an implantable defibrillator.' One of the athletes who took part in the trial was Brian Cookson, keen cyclist and former president of British Cycling and Union Cycliste Internationale – cycling's world governing body. The 74-year-old grandfather from Whalley, Lancashire, said the trial could have saved his life. While training at the Manchester Velodrome he started feeling unwell and his sports watch recorded his heart rate had reached 238 beats per minute (bpm), and stayed that way for around 15 minutes. 'I was pushing it a little bit on the track, but not absolutely full gas, as we say in cycling,' Mr Cookson said. He contacted the team involved with the study who reviewed data from his implanted device to record his heart rhythm. They were able to see he had suffered an episode of ventricular tachycardia – an abnormally fast heartbeat where the heart's ventricles contract too quickly and do not pump blood around the body effectively. 'The next day, I got a call. They said, 'Stop riding your bike, don't do anything more strenuous than walking until we can get you in here because we think you need an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)',' he said. He was fitted with one of the devices in August last year which shocks the heart if it goes into an abnormal rhythm. Mr Cookson, who is still cycling, said: 'I keep a closer eye on my heart rate now and if I'm getting to 150bpm I'll start backing off. 'I'm so grateful to have been part of this study. It might well have saved my life. 'Without it, I might have carried on pushing myself until something more serious happened.' Dr Peter Swoboda, associate professor in cardiology and consultant cardiologist at the University of Leeds, who led the study, said: 'In our study, the athletes who experienced dangerous heart rhythms often had symptoms first. 'I'd encourage anyone who experiences blackouts, dizziness, chest pain or breathlessness, whether during sport or at rest, to speak to their doctor and get it checked out. 'These results shouldn't put people off regular exercise. 'Our study focused on a very select group, and not all the athletes involved were found to have scarring in their hearts. We can all benefit from being more active, and this study is an important step towards helping people take part in sport as safely as possible.'
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
8 best swimming earplugs, from Alpine, Speedo, Zoggs and more
If you spend a lot of time in the water, a good pair of swimming earplugs can make a real difference to your comfort and ear health. Designed to create a watertight seal, they help prevent water from entering the ear canal. This can be a major cause of discomfort, cause infections such as swimmer's ear, and even create longer-term issues with hearing. While some people wear earplugs as a precaution against earaches or pressure changes, for those prone to ear infections or with grommets, earplugs are essential. The best swimming earplugs stay securely in place even during energetic swims, feel comfortable for extended periods, and block water without muffling sound too much. When choosing a pair, it's worth considering the material (silicone and rubber are common), whether you want mouldable or pre-shaped plugs, and how easy they are to insert and remove. The fit is key – a good seal will keep your ears protected without feeling too tight or intrusive. I tested a range of options across different price points to find swimming earplugs that combine effective protection with ear comfort. I tried them in a variety of swimming scenarios, so whether you're doing lengths in an indoor pool, training for a triathlon in open water, or plunging into the sea for a spot of cold-water swimming, there's a pair that will work for you. How I tested Each pair of swimming earplugs was tested during at least five sessions in both indoor pools and open water to assess performance under varying conditions. To maintain consistency, I swam set distances and repeated similar movements – freestyle, tumble turns and backstroke – while wearing the same swim cap and goggles. I evaluated each set of earplugs on water seal integrity, comfort over extended periods, ease of insertion and removal, and how much I could hear while wearing them. Special attention was given to how well the plugs maintained their seal during turning and acceleration when overtaking, as even a minor shift can potentially enable leaks and compromise protection. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Zoe Griffin has been evaluating and reviewing a wide range of products for IndyBest since 2021. As a triathlete, Zoe has particular expertise when it comes to swimming, sports, and fitness, reviewing everything from fitness trackers to running watches. When assessing swimming earplugs, she took into account choices for all budgets and her reviews are always based on her genuine experiences through real-world testing. The best swimming earplugs for 2025 are:
Phone Arena
15-05-2025
- Phone Arena
Garmin officially rolls out the feature-packed Forerunner 570 smartwatch at a reasonable price
Unveiled alongside the higher-end and costlier Forerunner 970, this athlete and triathlete-friendly mid-ranger of sorts is priced at $549.99, which doesn't exactly qualify the 570 as an ultra-affordable timepiece, but it certainly beats the $749.99 MSRP of the more premium aforementioned model. 42mm and 47mm case sizes; 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen with 390 x 390 pixel resolution (42mm variant); 1.4-inch AMOLED display with 454 x 454 pixel resolution (47mm size); 42.4 x 42.4 x 12.9mm dimensions (42mm variant); 47 x 47 x 12.9mm dimensions (47mm size); 42 grams weight (42mm variant); 50 grams weight (47mm size); Up to 10 days of battery life (42mm variant); Up to 11 days of battery life (47mm size); Aluminum bezel; Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens; Silicone strap; Multi-band GPS and SatIQ technology; 8GB internal storage; 5 ATM water resistance; Built-in speaker and microphone; Heart rate monitor; Heart rate variability; Blood oxygen sensor; Sleep score and insights; Nap detection; Body Battery energy monitor; All-day stress tracking; Skin temperature; Garmin Pay; Barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, ambient light sensor; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity; Morning Report and Evening Report; Garmin Coach, Garmin Running Coach, Garmin Cycling Coach, Garmin Triathlon Coach; Multisport workouts; Incident detection; VO2 Max, Training Load, Training Effect; Running Dynamics, Running Power, Grade-Adjusted Pace, Race Predictor; Android and iPhone support. At first glance, the Garmin Forerunner 570 covers all the health monitoring and sports tracking bases... and then some. Also at first glance, not much appears to differentiate the Forerunner 970 from its cheaper "cousin." At a closer look, however, you'll probably notice that the lengthy list of features and capabilities above lacks a potentially life-saving ECG sensor. And an occasionally handy built-in LED flashlight. The 570's build is also a little less impressive, with an aluminum instead of a rugged titanium bezel and Gorilla Glass 3 display protection rather than sapphire. Still, this is by no means a fragile or ugly wearable, and the two case sizes actually give the Forerunner 570 an important flexibility advantage over the 970. Leaving all comparisons aside, we're definitely looking at a remarkably feature-packed running smartwatch capable of keeping an eye on every little aspect of your marathon preparation (as well as the marathon itself) while rocking what Garmin calls its "brightest display yet"... without elaborating on the brightness figures. Aaaand we're back to comparing the new product with an existing one... designed for a different target audience. But be honest, this is one of the first questions you ask yourselves whenever Garmin, Samsung, Google, or OnePlus add a new device to the Apple-dominated industry. Today's answer (as so many times in the past) is complicated, with that 11-day battery life promise, for instance, making the Garmin Forerunner 570 look like not just an Apple Watch killer, but one of the best smartwatches you can buy right now period. Granted, the Forerunner 970 can guarantee even longer running times between charges, but 11 days (or 10 days on the smaller model) is nothing to sneeze at either. Another detail many prospective Forerunner 570 buyers will probably appreciate is the variety and atypical flashiness of the colors the new Garmin mid-ranger is available in. We're not just talking bland slate gray/black combinations, but also raspberry-and-mango or amp yellow-translucent whitestone-and-turquoise models. That's a pretty unusual splash of style for a fitness-focused Garmin smartwatch, and together with all the powerful health monitoring tools, stellar battery life, and beautiful AMOLED display, it could well make the Forerunner 570 a formidable opponent for the Apple Watch Series 10, not to mention the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra.
