Ep 22 Why run? Why would you not: cardiologist Paddy Barrett on running, zone 2 and long-term health
· Trail Running Ireland Podcast
Eoin Flynn and René Borg talk to cardiologist and runner Paddy Barrett about why running is so good for long-term health. Paddy explains what a large study of runners found, why most of your training should be in zone 2, what extreme volumes may do to the heart, and why knowing the facts isn't enough to change how people live.
Paddy describes his move from surgery and interventional cardiology into prevention, and admits he battled ITB problems for years before getting structured coaching. After his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, his resting heart rate jumped and his heart rate variability dropped, so he halved his long run. Paddy and René explain heart rate variability as a sign of the balance between the fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest systems.
Eoin quotes a Journal of the American College of Cardiology study of about 55,000 adults, which found runners lived around three years longer, with 45% lower risk of cardiovascular death and 30% lower risk of death from any cause. Paddy says any activity beats none, but at the extreme end of ultra volumes some studies show heart scarring and more atrial fibrillation. He explains Iñigo San Millán's lactate work and why zone 2 running, a pace where you could talk but would rather not, improves metabolic health.