By Mary Kekatos Health Reporter For Dailymail.com
Published: 15:19 GMT, 6 March 2019 | Updated: 15:19 GMT, 6 March 2019
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'Athlete's heart' may plague NFL players decades after they retire from football, a new study finds.
The condition, an enlarged heart caused by intensive strength training, is often brushed off by players and coaches as a fleeting issue with no long-term impact.
But new research by Tulane University School of Medicine maps out how this enlargement can trigger other changes in the body, driving up the risks of hypertension, sleep apnea and heart disease years later.
The risk is highest for bigger players who prioritize strength-training over endurance training - such as quarterbacks, linemen, linebackers and tight ends.
Positions that went through training more focused on speed and agility - including wide receivers, cornerbacks, safeties and kickers - were less likely to have the condition.
Researchers say that former NFL players with the largest body sizes who underwent more strength training have a higher risk of heart abnormalities. Pictured: File image of Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith being sacked by Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett
'In spite of the fact that these guys were, at one point, incredibly active and in incredibly good cardiovascular shape, down the line they may still end up having some significant cardiovascular abnormalities,' lead author Dr Genevieve Smith said.
'What we don't know is whether the changes we're seeing later in life are related to the high blood pressure or to the "athlete's heart" that they had when they were professional players.'
'Athlete's heart' results in an enlarged heart with a
