Is Intense Exercise Ultimately Harmful or Beneficial for the Heart?

According to SAEDNEWS, researchers reported that despite previous studies suggesting a clear link, young male athletes and fitness enthusiasts are not at a higher risk of atrial fibrillation.

Lead researcher Marcel Ballin from Uppsala University in Sweden said: “Our study shows there is good reason to tone down the message that has sometimes become widespread, suggesting that high levels of fitness or participation in competitive bodybuilding pose a major risk to cardiovascular health.”

He added: “The risk of atrial fibrillation is certainly not zero, but as mentioned, the benefits are significantly greater.”

For the new study, researchers analyzed data from over 1 million young Swedish men collected through national service records between 1972 and 1995.

Overall, initial results showed that men with the highest fitness levels had a higher risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those with the lowest fitness levels.

However, by age 40, this increased risk outweighed the cardiovascular benefits of fitness, while after age 45, the benefits became greater than the risks.

Researchers then took the analysis further by examining about half a million men who were conscripted for military service and had siblings.

Ballin explained that siblings share about half their genes as well as some socioeconomic, environmental, childhood, and behavioral factors that can influence both fitness levels and cardiovascular disease risk.

When comparing siblings, the association between fitness and atrial fibrillation became significantly weaker.

Researchers concluded that the previously observed link is likely at least partly explained by shared familial factors.

He added that from a lifelong perspective, the findings suggest that the benefits of high fitness levels outweigh the risks.