For older male athletes who exercise a lot, doing very hard workouts (like sprinting or intense cycling) seems to be linked to more calcium buildup in the heart arteries over time, while moderate hard workouts might not have the same effect.

For older male athletes, doing hard but not extreme workouts (like steady running or cycling) seems to be linked to less calcium buildup in heart arteries over time, compared to doing ultra-intense workouts.

For older male athletes who work out really hard—like sprinting or intense cycling—doing more of this super intense exercise over time seems to be linked to more calcium building up in their heart arteries, which could be a sign of plaque growth.

For older male athletes, doing a lot of hard but not extreme exercise—like fast running or cycling—seems to be linked to less calcium buildup in heart arteries over time, compared to doing super intense workouts.

Even if super-active athletes have more plaque, the amount of calcium in each spot, how big it is, and where it’s located doesn’t get worse the more they’ve exercised.

Doing very hard exercise — like sprinting or intense cycling — is linked to more calcium buildup and plaque in the heart arteries, even if the total amount of exercise is the same as someone who exercises less intensely.