Question: Why are fit sportsmen and women more likely to suffer from a heart attack (like Frabrice Muamba) than the average person?

Sean Murphy answered on 22 Mar 2012:

I think in general, fit people are less likely to have a heart attack. However, as heart attacks often happen during vigorous exercise, a person who already has a damaged heart or an underlying heart disease, is more likely to die than if he or she were walking or resting. In exercise, the heart may develop an irregular beat, blood pressure can rise to a dangerous level or plaque from a partly-clogged artery can break off and stop blood flow. The arteries supply blood to the heart muscles, bringing to them oxygen and nutrients. As sportspeople tend to push themselves harder than ordinary people, they may cause more strain on their heart than non-sportspeople.