A pacing system delivers cardiac protection pacing to protect the heart from injuries associated with ischemic events. The pacing system detects an ischemic event and, in response, initiates one or more cardiac protection pacing sequences each including alternative pacing and non-pacing periods. In one embodiment, the pacing system initiates a cardiac protection pacing sequence in response to the detection of the onset of an ischemic event, such that a pacing concurrent conditioning therapy is applied during the detected ischemic event.