1 / 8 Self-Healing Heart

Any runner will tell you that nothing gets the heart pumping like a long run on a trail or treadmill. But new research suggests that all that <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-health/1207/marathons-may-damage-part-of-the-heart.aspx" target="_hplink">heart-friendly exercise may actually cause temporary damage to the right ventricle</a>. In a study of 40 elite athletes who were training for endurance running events, researchers found signs of damage immediately following the races — the heart was enlarged, and function of the right ventricle had decreased. Don’t let this send you running away from your workout and to the doctor, though: Scientists say they found no evidence that running isn’t healthy, and that amazingly, the athletes’ hearts were able to completely heal themselves from the damage in about a week.

Shutterstock