People who exercise the most have nearly six times more plaque in their arteries than casual exercisers yet scientists say their risk of dying from heart disease is no higher

by Adrienne Erin

What if I told you that the most dedicated, hardcore athletes—the ones who spend hours every week pushing their bodies to the limit—were nearly six times more likely to have plaque developing in their arteries than people who trained the least? It sounds completely backward, doesn’t it? For decades, we’ve been told that more exercise is the key to a healthier heart. But a startling new study has revealed a relationship that is the complete opposite of what most of us wo