One of the most grueling and difficult fitness regime people go through is bodybuilding. The regime was made to enhance the muscles of the human body. As a sport, it is bodybuilders who train their muscles to artistically display the pronounced muscle mass, symmetry as well as overall aesthetics. Building muscles mass includes doing exercises like strength training, resistance training devices as well as cardio. These exercises help bodybuilders keep their body fat at the lowest possible. Being the epitome of health, many people believe that body builders live healthy and long lives. However, a new study shed light on the concerning link between bodybuilding and sudden deaths. Major Health Risks Related To Bodybuilding Bodybuilders may spend endless hours building impressive muscles, but a new study shows their hard work might harm their hearts. Research in the European Heart Journal found that many male bodybuilders die suddenly from heart issues. What's more, professional bodybuilders are five times more likely to have a sudden heart attack than amateurs. Researchers highlighted that the risk of death for male bodybuilders is notably high. They noted that competing at a professional level seems to increase this risk, with pros having many more sudden heart deaths. This study started because of more and more reports of early deaths and heart attacks in the bodybuilding world. The study also found that about 15% of bodybuilder deaths were classified as "sudden traumatic deaths," which include car accidents, suicides, murders, and overdoses. Experts stressed that these findings show we need to think about the mental impact of bodybuilding culture, noting that mental health issues can sometimes get worse with drug abuse, leading to risky or self-harming behaviors. Study Methodology and Findings Researchers looked at information from 20,300 athletes who competed in International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) events between 2005 and 2020. The IFBB is the main group for bodybuilding contests worldwide. The study followed these athletes' health until July 2023, for over eight years on average. During this time, 121 bodybuilders passed away.A shocking 38% of these deaths were due to sudden cardiac death, meaning their hearts just stopped. Sadly, 11 of these cases happened to active competitors who were, on average, just under 35 years old. Experts pointed out that sudden heart death can happen even to young, seemingly healthy people without known heart problems, though it's rare. What Increases The Risk? Experts pointed to several practices common in bodybuilding that can strain the cardiovascular system:Extreme strength training: Intense physical exertion can put immense pressure on the heart.Rapid weight loss strategies: Severe dietary restrictions and dehydration can disrupt the body's delicate balance.Widespread use of performance-enhancing substances: These can have detrimental effects on heart health. How Does It Affect Your Heart? These things can cause irregular heartbeats and changes to the heart's structure over time. Autopsies of five bodybuilders in the study showed that four had enlarged hearts and thicker heart muscles, which make heart failure more likely. Professionals face a higher risk because they often push these practices harder for longer periods and feel more pressure to get extreme physiques. Experts warned bodybuilders, that aiming for physical perfection is great, but trying for extreme body changes at any cost can be very risky their health and heart.