Dying for Success?

The numbers will be small each year, and the numbers will vary greatly from year to year.

If there is a systematic increase over time, who's to say it's not some other factor — such as simply more people playing football? More people with latent cardiac or other problems playing football? Or just better reporting, better medical facilities to identify the issues?

Sorry, Kieran, but I just can't work myself up into a lather over this. But then maybe I'm manipulating the analysis to suit my confirmation bias: I just don't think overplaying by professionals is a real problem.

But too much focus on Gaffer Day nonsense? Yes, absolutely, I'm convinced that is a real problem for this squad of ours...

I remember reading a detailed report after Liverpool last won the league, why they couldn't retain it. I was called a bitter blue by countless gobshites when I explained this in detail to them. It was saying how the clubs are not breaking any rules (the percentage of asthma in that club is off the scale though) but they are basically legal-highing the players and, after the way they had performed during their two previous seasons, they would have to, what is termed 'cycle down' during that season.

It was saying how someone's heart was going to just basically explode if the clubs kept pushing their players, so I assume Man City, are cycling down right now, and Everton haven't cycled down for nearly 40 years.

Certainly other factors could be at play but the science has taught us more about why people died as opposed to the number who died which is readily apparent.

I started with the 1970s as I thought that an era of pretty high participation and information gathering versus say the 1920s when fatalities were seemingly lower but I imagine data is lacking.

I'm not suggesting it's a massive death pandemic but the numbers increasing from what occurred over a decade to the same happening in a year is significant.

It's a good point. Back in the early 80s people saw little harm (other than being caught cheating) with steroids. Then all these athletes, wright lifters, wrestlers etc all started dropping dead prematurely.

Be interesting to see how the cyclists for example after all their doling scandals bear up over the long run. Plus as you mention the whole asthma crowd at Anfield.

That's what I'm hoping for anyway but, more than anything, I'm hoping that Everton finally return to being very hard-nosed and professional, because this has got to be the most important thing if we want to become winners once again.

I say this nearly as much as I criticize Bill Kenwright, Michael, I know, but I don't think even you would disagree with me over this mate?

He told me that most deaths of people below the age of 40 were due to congenital conditions and most after 40 were diet or lifestyle related.

I ran 40 marathons and there were no deaths in any of them but a guy dropped dead after finishing an 8-km that I ran in. He was clearly overweight for a runner.

Many serious runners put in 70 or more miles per week and, as far as I know, there is no excess death rate in this group.

I do think that sports science is driving sportspeople to perform at the highest levels for as long as possible.

Some of that is good, and some of that is just legal juicing. As testing improves, so does the science of juicing.

He died 6 months ago, on the pitch, still playing footy at 68. Fortunately, the opponents had a cardiac specialist in their team, a defibrillator on site and, a triple by-pass later, he is thriving!

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00913847.1990.11709995

Sudden death during or following exercise is a dramatic event. In people over 40 years of age, coronary artery disease Is implicated in nearly 90% of exercise-related deaths. For those under 30 years of age, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, abnormal coronary arteries, and coronary artery disease are the largest contributors.

Glad you're mate is okay.

Ed,

Interesting paper but it's from 30 years ago. Deaths have risen despite screening for heart conditions since then. Glad to hear though you didn't have to trample over too many corpses during your marathons. I've tremendous respect for anyone who runs one, much less 70-odd!

Where is the data showing that the cardiac death rate is increasing? I found a "Cardiac Science" article that said the numbers are increasing but the reference they give does not say that. I doubt that the cardiac stress from playing soccer is greater than competitive endurance running or cycling.

Performance enhancing drugs have been implicated in athlete deaths. Do the soccer federations test for EPO, HGO, anabolic steroids, stimulants, etc?

But they only find what they find. Or what isn't masked. I'm surprised we don't hear of more test failures. With the rewards on offer it would seem unusual if people weren't pushing the boundaries of what is legal, with a percentage crossing the line.

Then there are Therapeutic Use Exemptions... how many asthmatics does it take to win a football match?

I read not long ago, after Bronny James collapsed, that the incidence of heart-related collapse is highest by far among basketball players, not footballers -- Hank Gathers and Reggie Lewis being the most famous. The difference is that college basketball players are tested for cardiomyopathy and other congenital conditions, and if diagnosed can have pacemakers implanted to not only save their lives but continue playing. Jared Butler plays in the NBA with a pacemaker.

Bronny was lucky. His pre-collegiate testing had shown no problems. He could easily have died.

Pete #11, that's an amazing story. All the stars lined up for your buddy. Let me know how the reunion is.

The only cardiac disease where the mortality rate has risen is heart failure. That's largely considered to be due to the worldwide increase in obesity, as well as the fact that we're living longer and the older you get, the more likely you are to die of heart failure.

I was referring to cardiac arrests during sport, not in society as a whole.

Since then most years have had double figures per year, some close to 20 and most cardiac-related. That's a pretty big increase per year since the turn of the century.

Nowadays, most collapses probably survive, but it would be interesting to know the rate of collapse, I suspect it is much more marked in the last few years.

Good point. Muamba, Eriksen and that Watford player to name a few probably would not have made it 30 years ago before pitchside medical equipment