Athletes more likely than non-athletes to have irregular heartbeats

July 12, 2021

Researchers analyzed 13 studies between 1990 and December 2020 which examined the health of athletes who took part in sports including cycling, running, swimming, Nordic skiing, orienteering, rowing, football, rugby and netball. The studies included data on 70,478 participants. Researchers found the risk of atrial fibrillation was 2.46 times higher among athletes than non-athletes. Irish Times