Football Training Benefits Patients With Heart Issues

TOPLINE:

In patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) or coronary artery disease (CAD), a structured 75-minute weekly football training programme over 1 year led to improvements in maximum oxygen uptake, blood pressure, running performance, and other cardiovascular risk factors, with no concerning safety events.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers in Germany conducted a prospective randomised study to assess the effect of a structured, health-adapted football training programme on cardiovascular risk factors in high-risk patients.
• Adults aged 40 years or older with a history of MI or CAD were assigned to receive either a 75-minute, coach-led football training session once weekly for 12 months (football group; n = 89; mean age, 63 years; 82% men) or standard prevention recommendations (control group; n = 88; mean age, 64 years; 86.3% men).
• Outcomes assessed at 1 year included the change in maximum oxygen uptake, running performance, laboratory parameters, weight, depression and medications, and overall safety of the intervention.

TAKEAWAY:

• The mean maximum oxygen uptake in the football group increased significantly from 18.0 to 19.7 mL/min/kg (P < .001), whereas it decreased slightly in the control group from 19.5 to 18.3 mL/min/kg (P = .046).
• The mean blood pressure in the football group decreased from 132/81 to 125/76 mm Hg (P < .001); however, the control group showed no such change and required significantly more antihypertensive medications (P = .019).
• Running distance improved in the football group (P < .001), along with weight loss and improved depressive symptoms (P < .05 for both); no such changes were seen in the control group.
• No internal emergencies were reported in the football group during training.

IN PRACTICE:

“Football in this form offers an effective way of improving the unsatisfactory situation in secondary prevention. A decisive advantage of football is the existing nationwide infrastructure and, thus, the cost-effective possibility of making this physical activity accessible to all,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Bastian Schrader, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany. It was published online on May 21, 2025, in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

LIMITATIONS:

This study was underpowered to assess differences in internal complications between the groups. Financial constraints prevented the use of heart rate monitors in the control group, although that could have enhanced the comparison of physical activity. The randomisation method may have introduced bias.

DISCLOSURES:

This study received funding from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the German Heart Foundation. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.