Research
Adherence
High-volume and high-intensity exercise may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in athletes, suggesting a J-shaped relationship between exercise volume and AF risk.
While exercise is crucial for heart health, extremely high volumes of intense exercise may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation in athletes. Aim for moderate-volume exercise (5-20 MET hours/week) for optimal protection against AF.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Numerous observational studies have demonstrated that athletes and those performing high-volume and high-intensity exercise have higher rates of incident AF than non-athletes or those performing moderate-intensity exercise (36–40).
Why this rating
Based on 'numerous observational studies' and a 'nonlinear meta-regression analysis', but noted as 'less clear' than other CVD benefits.
Source
Exercise, exerkines, and cardiometabolic health: from individual players to a team sport
Jeremy Robbins et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2023
DOI 10.1172/jci168121
narrative_reviewCited 29×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Regular exercise prevents and treats cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, through pleiotropic effects on cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic homeostasis.Good
- Exercise stimulates the release of 'exerkines' (signaling molecules like IL-6, 12,13-diHOME, and musclin) that mediate systemic health benefits, including improved cardiac function and metabolic flexibility.Moderate
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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