Endurance athletes have more heart arteries affected by plaque buildup than healthy non-athletes—even when both groups have the same cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Endurance athletes have more heart arteries blocked by plaque than healthy non-athletes—even when both groups are fit and have normal cholesterol—meaning their arteries are affected in more places.

People who regularly do long, intense workouts like running or cycling tend to have less dangerous types of plaque buildup in their heart arteries than people who don't exercise much.

People who train hard and regularly for endurance sports are less likely to have dangerous, unstable plaque in their heart arteries that could suddenly cause a heart attack.

Even though elite athletes have more plaque in their hearts, the type of plaque they have is harder and less likely to rupture — which might be why they live longer than you’d expect.

Men who have trained for decades in marathons and endurance sports are more likely to have calcium deposits in their heart arteries than men who don't exercise much—even if they're otherwise healthy and have no heart disease risk factors.