Do Super Athletes Get More Heart Plaque?
Relationship Between Lifelong Exercise Volume and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Athletes
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Athletes with the highest lifelong exercise volumes had the highest prevalence of coronary plaque—but the plaque was predominantly calcified, which is less dangerous.
Common belief: more exercise = cleaner arteries. This shows the opposite—more exercise correlates with more plaque, yet these athletes have lower heart attack rates.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re an endurance athlete or do high-intensity training daily, consider getting a coronary calcium scan to understand your plaque type—not just quantity.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Athletes with the highest lifelong exercise volumes had the highest prevalence of coronary plaque—but the plaque was predominantly calcified, which is less dangerous.
Common belief: more exercise = cleaner arteries. This shows the opposite—more exercise correlates with more plaque, yet these athletes have lower heart attack rates.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re an endurance athlete or do high-intensity training daily, consider getting a coronary calcium scan to understand your plaque type—not just quantity.
Publication
Journal
Circulation
Year
2017
Authors
V. L. Aengevaeren, A. Mosterd, T. Braber, N. Prakken, P. Doevendans, D. Grobbee, P. Thompson, T. Eijsvogels, B. Velthuis
Related Content
Claims (6)
Chronic high-volume endurance exercise is associated with the development of calcified coronary artery plaque, which is biomechanically more stable and less prone to rupture than non-calcified or mixed plaque.
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.
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.
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.