DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I don’t know if this is silly, but I am worried about my husband. He doesn’t get much exercise, and he’s a little overweight. The problem is that he’s a sports fanatic – watching, not doing. He’s glued to the TV for every sporting event. During a game he gets so worked up that I believe he’s going to have a heart attack. He jumps around and yells. Am I making too much about this? – R.W.

ANSWER: Yours is not an unfounded worry. We’ve known for many years that stress can provoke a heart attack. Now German investigators have found that watching sporting events is stressful for people who get as involved in them as your husband does. They monitored the number of heart attacks, angina attacks and serious heart-rhythm disturbances that occurred in their country during the 2006 World Cup Soccer competition, soccer being one of Germany’s favorite sports. During those games, the number of heart-related illnesses and death increased, and the increase was especially high when the German team participated.

People with a prior history of heart disease were more likely to suffer a heart-related complication than were those without such a history, but these events happened even to people who were never diagnosed with a heart problem.

The German doctors offered other explanations – the heavy alcohol drinking that takes place during the games, the lack of sleep people endure at those times and the overeating associated with watching these events. However, the stress that comes to people from watching appears to be the most logical explanation.

I don’t know what to advise people to do about this. Show this to your husband; he might be motivated to tone down his involvement in the games.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I read your column relating to exercising and the interval exercise method of running and walking done to extend the time spent running and walking. Do you get the same benefits playing tennis and racquetball? Some doctors consider them sports and not continuous exercise. – E.S.

ANSWER: All sports are exercise. You’re making a distinction between aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is the kind of exercise that benefits the heart and lowers blood pressure. It is continuous exercise in which large muscles (usually the legs) move without rest for an extended time period. No sport, aside from long-distance track sports, is pure aerobic exercise. Basketball, for example, consists of brief periods of fast running down the court and then a period when players are moving about, but at a much reduced rate. But basketball, tennis and racquetball still provide aerobic benefits. The players’ heart rates never return to the resting heart rate, so the heart is getting a workout.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: You indicated the benefits of walking and jogging in strengthening bones. I do both of these. My question concerns the minitrampoline. I use it to add variety to my program and when the weather is bad. Is it beneficial at all for bone strengthening? – N.

ANSWER: The criterion that determines bone-strengthening benefit is stress on the bone. The most obvious stress is the stress involved in supporting body weight.

A trampoline reduces some of the stress of bearing body weight, but not all. I believe it can contribute to bone strengthening.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I read how you described increasing the intensity of exercise by running fast for one minute and then jogging for three. One minute is too long for me. My brother is a running coach. He made this doable suggestion. Once you have warmed up, sprint for 20 strides and slow down, even to a walk. Build back up to a faster pace and then spring another 20 strides. Continue doing this sequence. What do you think of this? – B.N.

ANSWER: I like it better than my program.

I’m sure people can use this information, and some will want to fashion their own program. Thank you and thank your brother.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com

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