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FOCUS on Sports in Cardiology

Understanding the Cardiovascular Impact and Management in Athletes

Table of contents
At a time when sedentary lifestyles and obesity continue to fuel global cardiovascular rates, ESC Guidelines position physical activity as a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation. While exercise offers clear reductions in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, the guidelines also stress the importance of navigating the nuanced relationship between physical exertion and cardiac risk, particularly in individuals with existing disease or predispositions. Explore the FOCUS resources content centred on sports in cardiology, which include relevant ESC Guidelines, congress presentations

Webinars

Screening athletes: from pre-participation to return-to-play - what every clinician should know
Webinar
Screening athletes: from pre-participation to return-to-play - what every clinician should know
18 Feb 2026 - 19:00
Beyond the heart: multidisciplinary strategies for managing cardiovascular conditions in athletes
Webinar
Beyond the heart: multidisciplinary strategies for managing cardiovascular conditions in athletes
25 Feb 2026 - 19:00

Essentials

Key supporting evidence

The sports cardiology team: personalising athlete care through a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach 

International recommendations for electrocardiographic interpretation in athletes

Recommendations for participation in leisure-time physical activity and competitive sports in patients with arrhythmias and potentially arrhythmogenic conditions: Part 1: Supraventricular arrhythmias. A position statement of the Section of Sports Cardiology and Exercise from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), both associations of the European Society of Cardiology

Recommendations for participation in leisure-time physical activity and competitive sports of patients with arrhythmias and potentially arrhythmogenic conditions. Part 2: ventricular arrhythmias, channelopathies, and implantable defibrillators: A position statement of the Section of Sports Cardiology and Exercise from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), both associations of the European Society of Cardiology

Coronary atherosclerosis in athletes: emerging concepts and preventive strategies

Electrocardiographic and morphological cardiac remodelling in competitive female athletes – a scoping review

Yield of molecular autopsy in sudden cardiac death in athletes: data from a large registry in the UK 

The EXPERT tool: how to make exercise prescription easy

High intensity exercise programme in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a randomized trial

Prevalence and clinical significance of electrocardiographic complete right bundle branch block in young individuals

New data to differentiate physiological vs. pathological left ventricular dilatation in athletes

 

Relevant textbook chapter

Dig Deeper

Exclusively for members

In practice

ESC Webinars Series - Sports Cardiology. Focus on athlete's heart vs. cardiomyopathy: the role of imaging
Webinar
ESC Webinars Series - Sports Cardiology. Focus on athlete's heart vs. cardiomyopathy: the role of imaging
25 Mar 2021 - 19:00
ESC Webinars Series - Sports Cardiology. Focus on challenging arrhythmias in sports medicine: what would you do?
Webinar
ESC Webinars Series - Sports Cardiology. Focus on challenging arrhythmias in sports medicine: what would you do?
30 Apr 2021 - 20:00
ESC Webinars Series - Sports Cardiology. Focus on sports and cardiovascular health: where you draw the line ?
Webinar
ESC Webinars Series - Sports Cardiology. Focus on sports and cardiovascular health: where you draw the line ?
9 Feb 2021 - 19:00
Clinical Case Management: athletes with rhythm problems - what to consider when recommending exercise
Congress Session
Clinical Case Management: athletes with rhythm problems - what to consider when recommending exercise
2 Sep 2024 - 17:15

Interface with the specialists

Episode 9:  Atrial fibrillation in athletes - Work and life of a medical journalist
ESC TV Today
Episode 9: Atrial fibrillation in athletes - Work and life of a medical journalist
13 Feb 2025 - 16:00
Clinical Case Management: athletes with cardiomyopathies
Congress Session
Clinical Case Management: athletes with cardiomyopathies
31 Aug 2024 - 13:00
Great Debate: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and sport - restrict or rethink?
Congress Session
Great Debate: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and sport - restrict or rethink?
31 Aug 2024 - 19:30
Clinical Case Management: athletes with rhythm problems - what to consider when recommending exercise
Congress Session
Clinical Case Management: athletes with rhythm problems - what to consider when recommending exercise
2 Sep 2024 - 17:15
Personalising care in congenital heart disease: a lifecycle perspective
Congress Session
Personalising care in congenital heart disease: a lifecycle perspective
31 Aug 2024 - 10:15
Great Debates: preventing sudden cardiac death in competitive sports and athletes competing with an ICD
Congress Session
Great Debates: preventing sudden cardiac death in competitive sports and athletes competing with an ICD
2 Sep 2024 - 15:45
Challenges in sports eligibility: what to do with…
Congress Session
Challenges in sports eligibility: what to do with…
3 Apr 2025 - 13:30
Arrhythmias in the athlete: sometimes sport is bad for the heart rhythm
Congress Session
Arrhythmias in the athlete: sometimes sport is bad for the heart rhythm
25 Aug 2023 - 10:30

Pioneers' Viewpoint

The challenge of interpreting cardiac adaptation to exercise: the importance of picking up the training history
Podcast
The challenge of interpreting cardiac adaptation to exercise: the importance of picking up the training history
14 Oct 2024 - 02:00
Athlete’s heart: normal vs pathological adaptation
Congress Presentation
Athlete’s heart: normal vs pathological adaptation
11 Dec 2025 - 09:30
Competitive sports participation in athletes following ICD implantation: do’s and don’ts
Congress Presentation
Competitive sports participation in athletes following ICD implantation: do’s and don’ts
14 Apr 2023 - 13:57
CMR and sports: from diagnosis to risk stratification
Congress Session
CMR and sports: from diagnosis to risk stratification
11 Dec 2025 - 09:30
Congress Session
Wearables in preventive cardiology
4 Apr 2025 - 19:15

Test yourself - eLearning courses

2020 ESC Guidelines on Sports Cardiology
e-Learning Course
2020 ESC Guidelines on Sports Cardiology
11 Jun 2024 - 08:00
Sports Cardiology curriculum
e-Learning Course
Sports Cardiology curriculum
10 Jan 2023 - 08:00
How to read an athlete’s ECG?
e-Learning Course
How to read an athlete’s ECG?
10 Jan 2023 - 08:00