Sports cardiology is heart care for people who train or compete. It tells normal training changes, known as athlete’s heart, apart from heart conditions, checks symptoms during exercise and plans a gradual return to sport. Dr Navin Chandra, consultant cardiologist, has researched heart conditions in athletes and inherited cardiac conditions. He sees active people across East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is it for? | Runners, cyclists, club players and other active people with symptoms or a family history |
| Who will I see? | Dr Navin Chandra, from first visit to results |
| What is assessed? | Training and family history, ECG, echo, exercise testing, rhythm monitoring and MRI if needed |
| What can be found? | Athlete’s heart, cardiomyopathy, rhythm problems and inherited conditions |
| Getting back to sport? | A graded plan and, where results allow, a fitness-to-compete letter |
| How do I book? | Call 020 7099 9685 or book online |
What Is Sports Cardiology?
Sports cardiology focuses on the hearts of people who exercise hard. Training places extra demands on the heart, and the heart adapts. The aim is to separate those changes from conditions that need treatment. The NHS explains one of the main conditions on its cardiomyopathy page.
Dr Chandra’s research has focused on sport and the heart and on inherited cardiac conditions. As an interventional cardiologist who uses imaging closely, he can also arrange and review the scans an athlete may need.
Collapse or Chest Pain During Exercise: Getting Emergency Help
Some symptoms in sport cannot wait for a clinic.
| What is happening | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Someone collapses and is not breathing normally, moving or responding | They could be having a cardiac arrest | Call 999 at once |
| Someone faints while exercising | A heart rhythm cause has to be ruled out | Call 999 |
| Chest pain during exercise that does not go away, or spreads to an arm, the neck or jaw | Possible heart attack | Call 999 |
| A fast heartbeat that will not settle after a few minutes, or comes with dizziness or chest pain | Possible rhythm problem | Call 999 or go to A&E |
| Feeling faint or blacking out shortly after stopping exercise | Often a simple faint, but it still needs checking | See a GP |
NICE guidance says anyone who has fainted during exercise should be offered exercise testing within 7 days, and should avoid exercise until then. Nobody with these symptoms should drive to A&E. The NHS fainting advice lists every 999 sign.
Heart Problems Seen in Sport and Exercise
Conditions Dr Chandra looks for in active people include:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: thickened heart muscle, usually inherited and thought to affect 1 in 500 people in the UK.
- Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: an inherited muscle condition, where prolonged strenuous exercise may make symptoms worse.
- Long QT syndrome: a usually inherited rhythm condition. Exercise, a sudden shock or stress can trigger symptoms.
- Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: a condition causing sudden spells of very fast heartbeat, lasting seconds to hours.
- Narrowed heart arteries in older athletes: in older people, this is the more likely cause of sudden cardiac death.
- Symptoms on effort: chest pain, unexplained breathlessness, or collapse or near-collapse during sport.
Assessment and Treatment Options for Athletes
Each option covers what it is, who it suits and its main limit.
Pre-Participation Checks
A review of your training, symptoms and family history, with an examination and a 12-lead ECG. It suits athletes starting or stepping up competitive sport. Training can alter the ECG, so results are read with care.
Exercise Treadmill Test
Your heart tracing is recorded while you walk or run on a treadmill. It suits symptoms that come on with effort, and NICE advises it after fainting during exercise. Some conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, may need a scan first.
Echo and Stress Echo
An ultrasound of the heart muscle and valves, at rest or after exercise, helps separate training changes from cardiomyopathy. See cardiac imaging for how it works.
Rhythm Monitoring
A portable ECG is worn for 24 to 48 hours, or up to 7 days, including during training. It suits palpitations or light-headed spells that appear and vanish. Monitors are covered in more depth under heart rhythm management.
Cardiac MRI for Heart Muscle Questions
MRI gives detailed pictures of the heart muscle and any scarring. It suits cardiomyopathy questions that need more detail than an echo.
Treatment and Activity Advice
If a condition is found, care may include medicines, a rhythm review or changes to training. With hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the NHS notes that your doctor advises on the type and amount of exercise.
Why People Choose Dr Chandra for Sports Cardiology
- Research in this field: his peer-reviewed work has focused on the athlete’s heart and inherited cardiac conditions.
- One consultant from test to plan: he reviews your ECG, scans and exercise results and explains them in person.
- Links with rehabilitation: he works with cardiac rehabilitation specialists when you return to activity.
Training and posts:
- NHS consultant at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- BCIS International Fellowship on Vancouver Island, Canada, caring for complex coronary patients
- Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Athlete's Heart or Cardiomyopathy: Telling Training Changes Apart
Sustained training changes the heart. It can grow slightly larger, with thicker walls, which doctors call athlete’s heart. These are normal adaptations. On an ECG or echo, though, they can look like a heart muscle disease.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy also thickens the heart walls. The NHS describes it as the most common cause of sudden unexpected death in young athletes. Getting the answer right matters both ways. A missed condition carries risk, while a wrong label can stop a healthy athlete from sport.
Dr Chandra combines your training history, family history, ECG and echo to tell them apart. Exercise testing and MRI are added where the picture is still unclear.
Checks Before Competitive Sport: What UK Guidance Says
Following its December 2019 review, the UK National Screening Committee stopped short of recommending systematic population screening of under-39s for heart conditions linked to sudden cardiac death. Its next review is estimated to finish in 2026 to 2027 (UK NSC recommendation).
The committee noted that most research on these tests comes from professional athletes, whose hearts differ from other people’s. It also found the tests not accurate enough, so some people would be falsely reassured and others given needless tests.
A personal check makes sense when there is a reason. That includes symptoms during exercise, a relative who died suddenly under 40, or a family member with an inherited heart condition. These match NICE red flags for urgent heart assessment after a blackout. Non-athletes wanting a general check can read about heart screening.
What Happens at a Sports Cardiology Appointment
- Your sport and symptoms: how much you train, what you feel and when it happens.
- Family history: any sudden deaths, early heart disease or inherited conditions in relatives.
- Examination and ECG: a hands-on examination, then a 12-lead ECG taken lying at rest.
- Tests matched to your sport: an echo, exercise test, rhythm monitor or MRI, only where they add something.
- Results and a training plan: what the findings mean for training and competition, and what comes next.
Before each test, he sets out what it can show, its risks and the alternatives. A first consultation lasts up to 30 minutes.
Returning to Training After a Heart Diagnosis
A return to sport is planned in steps. After a heart attack or a stent procedure, running or cycling may be possible again once the heart has recovered and rehabilitation is complete.
His review includes an exercise test and a check of your current medicines. He works with cardiac rehabilitation specialists so that activity builds up gradually. For an inherited condition, he advises on suitable sports and training loads.
If symptoms come back during training, stop and get them checked. A collapse always needs 999.
Where Dr Chandra Sees Athletes
Appointments are available at four hospitals. The Parkside Suite at Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot is the main location.
| Location | Address |
|---|---|
| The Parkside Suite, Heatherwood Hospital | Brook Ave, Ascot SL5 7GB |
| The Parkside Suite, Wexham Park Hospital | Wexham, Slough, Berkshire SL2 4HL |
| BMI Princess Margaret Hospital | Osborne Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 3SJ |
| Spire Thames Valley Hospital | Wexham Street, Wexham, Buckinghamshire SL3 6NH |
Ask which site suits your tests, and check clinic days when you call.
Sports Cardiology Fees and Insurance
Fees are not published. For 2026, the practice quotes the consultation and any tests when you book.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Sports cardiology consultation | Quoted when you book |
| Exercise test, echo, rhythm monitor or MRI | Quoted when you book |
- Self-pay: book directly and ask for a quote per test.
- Insured: insurers he works with include Healix, Cigna, AXA Health, Bupa, Vitality, Aviva and WPA. Call your insurer first, as approval may be needed in advance.
FAQs About Sports Cardiology
Is athlete's heart dangerous?
Athlete’s heart describes normal changes from training, so in itself it is not a disease. The concern is that these changes can look like a heart muscle condition on tests.
Can athlete's heart cause fainting?
Fainting during exercise should never be put down to training. NHS advice is to call 999 if someone faints while exercising. NICE recommends exercise testing within 7 days and no exercise until a specialist advises.
Can athlete's heart cause palpitations?
Palpitations in an athlete need checking rather than assuming they come from training. Rhythm conditions such as Wolff-Parkinson-White and long QT syndrome can cause them. The palpitations page explains when to seek help.
Is athlete's heart the same as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
No. Athlete’s heart is the heart adapting to training, while hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a muscle disease, usually inherited. Both can thicken the heart walls, so tests are read alongside your family history.
Why do fit athletes sometimes have heart problems?
Fitness does not protect against inherited conditions. The UK National Screening Committee notes that under 39, sudden cardiac death often stems from thickened heart muscle or an electrical problem. In older athletes, narrowed arteries are more likely.
Should my teenager have a heart check before competitive sport?
UK guidance stops short of routine heart tests for every young person under 39. A check makes more sense if your child has symptoms on exercise, or a relative died suddenly young or has an inherited heart condition. Ask the practice about age limits first.
Is marathon running bad for your heart?
There is no single answer, as it depends on your heart and your training. What matters is not ignoring warning signs. Chest pain, palpitations or unusual breathlessness during a run need checking, and collapse needs 999.
Can I keep training while I wait for tests?
After fainting during exercise, NICE advises no exercise until a specialist says otherwise. For other symptoms, ask when you book whether to rest or train lightly until your results are back.
Can I return to sport after a heart attack or stent?
It may be possible once the heart has recovered and rehabilitation is complete. Dr Chandra reviews your medicines and arranges an exercise test. He then plans a graded return alongside cardiac rehabilitation specialists.
Do I need a letter to say I am fit to compete?
Only if your club or event asks for one. Dr Chandra can provide a fitness-to-compete letter after an assessment, where results support it. Mention it when you book.
Book a Sports Cardiology Appointment with Dr Navin Chandra
Contact the practice to arrange an assessment:
- Phone: 020 7099 9685
- Email: enquiries@navinchandra.co.uk
- Online: the appointment request form or the practice contact page
Fainting away from sport is covered on the dizziness page.
If someone collapses during sport, phone 999 straight away. For urgent symptoms that are not an emergency, NHS 111 can advise.