Research
Mixed
Moderate physical exercise reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), while strenuous endurance exercise may increase the risk of AF in healthy elite athletes.
For most people, moderate exercise is best for preventing heart rhythm issues like atrial fibrillation. If you are an elite endurance athlete, be aware that extreme training volumes might increase your risk of AF, even if you are otherwise healthy. Stick to moderate intensity for general heart rhythm health.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Moderate physical exercise reduces the risk of developing AF. However, more strenuous endurance exercise, often practiced by elite athletes and marathon runners, may increase the risk of AF in healthy athletes without organic heart disease.
Why this rating
Supported by a systematic review and meta-analysis, but the finding is nuanced.
Source
Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease
Shashi K. Agarwal · Journal of Preventive Medicine and Holistic Health · 2021
DOI 10.18231/j.jpmhh.2020.011
narrative_review
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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