Why Do Some Athletes Have More Heart Plaque?
Sex Differences in the Impact of Exercise Volume on Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some super-fit male athletes who train extremely hard have more calcium buildup in their heart arteries, but it doesn't seem to hurt them. Female athletes, even super-fit ones, don't show this buildup — and might even have less than non-athletes.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
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Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
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Evidence Score
The highest quality evidence. These studies systematically search, appraise, and synthesize results from multiple individual studies, providing the most reliable summary of current knowledge.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some super-fit male athletes who train extremely hard have more calcium buildup in their heart arteries, but it doesn't seem to hurt them. Female athletes, even super-fit ones, don't show this buildup — and might even have less than non-athletes.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 560 / 100
Evidence Score
The highest quality evidence. These studies systematically search, appraise, and synthesize results from multiple individual studies, providing the most reliable summary of current knowledge.
Publication
Authors
Abdelaziz A, Elshahat A, Gadelmawla AF, Desouky M, Hafez AH, Abdelaziz M, Hammad N, Eldosoky D, Bhatia K, Filtz A, Lorenzatti D, Kuno T, Virani SS, Gulati M, Shapiro MD, Lavie CJ, Slipczuk L
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Claims (6)
High-volume, high-intensity endurance exercise increases coronary artery plaque burden without increasing all-cause or cardiovascular mortality risk in otherwise healthy individuals.
Men who train extremely hard for endurance sports like marathons or triathlons for many years tend to have more calcium buildup in their heart arteries than men who exercise moderately, even though they’re otherwise healthy.
Women who train hard for endurance sports like marathons don’t show more calcium buildup in their heart arteries than women who don’t exercise much — and some evidence suggests they may have less.
Men who train extremely hard are more likely to have moderate levels of calcium in their heart arteries than men who train less, but women who train just as hard don’t show this increase.
Women who train hard for endurance sports — even very hard — tend to have less calcium buildup in their heart arteries than women who don’t exercise much.