Sports & Performance Cardiology

Sports & Performance Cardiology is the first practice in the country to combine the academic expertise of a nationally recognized sports cardiologist with a private concierge care model. Dr. Shah focuses exclusively on active adults and athletes. He understands how cardiovascular conditions present differently in people who exercise regularly, and he tailors every evaluation and treatment plan to each patient's activity level and goals.

The practice serves active adults of all ages. Dr. Shah sees weekend warriors, recreational gym-goers, competitive age-group athletes, collegiate athletes, professional athletes, and Olympic competitors. He also cares for executives and active professionals who want proactive cardiovascular monitoring.

Sports & Performance Cardiology performs a broad range of testing on-site. Available tests include ECG, echocardiogram, exercise stress testing, coronary calcium scoring, CT angiography, ambulatory monitoring, VO2 max testing, lactate threshold testing, and resting metabolic rate evaluation. The practice also provides POTS diagnostics.

Each VO2 max test session runs approximately 45 to 60 minutes, with 8 to 12 minutes of actual exercise time. Dr. Shah uses medical-grade equipment and provides expert oversight throughout. Patients receive their VO2 max score, ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2), personalized heart rate zones, and specific training recommendations based on their results.

Yes. The concierge model at Sports & Performance Cardiology includes direct communication with Dr. Shah by phone, email, or text. Patients do not navigate a call center or wait for a nurse callback. This access supports ongoing questions, urgent concerns, and follow-up after testing.

The practice offers same-day and next-day scheduling. This availability allows patients to address urgent cardiac symptoms promptly and removes the long waits common in traditional specialty cardiology settings.

Yes. Dr. Shah evaluates and treats Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and autonomic dysfunction. These conditions frequently affect active individuals and can be difficult to diagnose through standard cardiology pathways. Dr. Shah performs POTS diagnostics in-house and develops management plans that account for each patient's activity level.

Yes. Sports & Performance Cardiology welcomes patients seeking second opinions on cardiac diagnoses or treatment plans, particularly when the original evaluation did not account for the patient's athletic background or exercise habits.

Yes, and this is a clinical strength of the practice. Dr. Shah recognizes that athletes and active adults often notice symptoms only at peak exertion. Signs like an inability to hold a prior race pace or reflux-like sensations during hard effort may point to underlying cardiovascular issues. He designs evaluations to capture how the heart performs under the specific demands each patient places on it.

Sports & Performance Cardiology is in Chevy Chase, MD. Parking is available at the Chevy Chase location.