Bodybuilder athletes have a five times higher risk of heart attack: experts
“It is a well fact that male bodybuilder athletes have a five times higher risk of heart attack. This is due to multiple factors.”
City Air News
Oct 10, 2025 08:16
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Chandigarh, October 10, 2025: “It is a well fact that male bodybuilder athletes have a five times higher risk of heart attack. This is due to multiple factors.”
While explaining this, Dr HS Bedi, chairman cardio thoracic & vascular surgery at Park Hospital, Mohali said that such athletes can have a heart disorder called cardiomyopathy. which predisposes to sudden cardiac death (SCD) .
This can be easily picked up by a simple test called a cardiac echo, Dr Bedi pointed out.
“Besides these athletes are sometimes given anabolic steroids and protein supplements, which can damage the heart and kidneys.”
Dr Bedi further stated that in an international competition the athlete sometimes intentionally dehydrates to maintain a specified body weight. This makes the blood thicker and predisposes it to a heart attack due to a clot.
Intense bursts of exercise can unduly put a major stress on the heart,he maintained.
He recalled a former Mr. Punjab who developed heart disease at a young age due to a combination of above factors. He successfully underwent a bypass surgery by Dr Bedi.
A research paper in the prestigious European Heart Journal published in May 2025 has scientifically documented all the above, informed Dr Bedi.
It says that it is important to have regular heart checkups, a graded exercise plan under a qualified coach, a prudent low fat zero deep fried diet and avoidance of any drug or artificial supplements to keep the risk of heart attack in control in our bodybuilder athletes, Dr Bedi said.
