Older male athletes who do the most extreme workouts are more likely to develop hardened, calcified plaques in their heart arteries over time, compared to those who train less intensely.

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.

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.

Even though super-active athletes have more plaque in their heart arteries, the plaque they have is harder and less dangerous-looking than the softer, riskier kind seen in less active people.

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.

Men who have exercised very intensely and for many years are more likely to have calcium deposits and plaque in their heart arteries than those who exercised less, even though they tend to live longer.