HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING AND ITS IMPACTS ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

The aim of this study was to discuss the impacts of high-intensity training on the cardiovascular health of individuals with no history of cardiac alterations or abnormalities. A search for preexisting studies in the SciELO, LILACS and Medline databases was carried out from 2019 to 2024, and a total of 10 articles were considered after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Based on the analyses performed, a direct and positive relationship was observed between sports practice and the optimization of cardiac performance, with physiologically beneficial changes. However, it was noted that intense training, when associated with variables such as type of exercise and characteristics of the practitioner, may follow an uncertain tendency to cause pathological changes in the heart, highlighting the importance of monitoring by trained professionals to maintain cardiovascular balance. It is concluded that there is no consensus regarding the cost-benefit of high-intensity training for the human heart and, therefore, it is recommended that future research be carried out to reach definitive conclusions.