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[bobafett]

Sad, very sad:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/latestnewsstory.cfm?storyID=3604933&thesection=sport&thesubsection=latest

http://esportenaglobo.globo.com/Globo/photo_Show/0,,2712504,00.jpg

 

[Ill Saint]

It's really disconcerting when people as fit as footballers die of such things, and there have been a few instances or related cases in recent years... considering the constant health and medical checks they go through, you figure this sort of thing just shouldn't really happen. Very sad.

RIP.

 

[Zaptruder]

Well, look at it this way; considering the number of professional atheletes around and the number of cases of one dying of heart attack on the job like this... compared to normal people (which you wouldn't hear about), the odds are still pretty good and still pretty stacked in favour of atheletes... and exercising in general.

 

[gofreak]

Hmm..I have heard something about highly pushed/stressed athletes, though, and their predisposal to stuff like this. It's happened fairly often in recent times that players have just dropped dead on the pitch. I can think of two others at least in the last year. The things is, these people are young. And they're dying on the pitch. Coincidence? There is an explanation out there, I just can't remember it exactly.

 

[Teddman]

Could it be steroid-related? You never know, athletes use a ton of supplements these days...

 

[gofreak]

I remember that being mentioned as a possible contributing factor. Even if not steroids, just the culture of packing in lots of supplements etc.

 

[Ill Saint]

The incident occurred just hours after Bolton midfielder fainted during the warm-up for Bolton's Carling Cup match against Tottenham. The Senegal ace - who has a history of heart problems - has recovered and is in hospital for observation.

Earlier this year, a third-division player collapsed and died during training in Budapest while Benfica's Hungarian player Miklos Feher collapsed during a Portugal top flight match against Vitoria Guimaraes and later died in hospital.

In 2003, Cameroon star Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed and died after suffering a heart attack during the semi-final of the Confederations Cup.

Hrm.

 

[gofreak]

To add to that, a player for a gaelic football team here in Ireland collapsed and died on the pitch of heart-related problems. I think he was only in his late teens or early twenties.

 

[Dekajelly]

A Bolton player collapsed on the pitch last night too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/3960121.stm

 

[Zaptruder]

well there goes my theory.

My guess is that along with the extreme performance demands... these people might have an unsuitable diet. Or maybe it's just the extreme performance demands.

 

[rs7k]

There was a show on the SRC (French CBC here in Canada) about young athletes dying in their prime, and while some cases couldn't be figured out, they had a segment on athletes using drug cocktails to perform better. The show was focusing on cyclists, and one of them was using a cocktail of cocaine, heroin, ephedrine, and caffeine to shave a few seconds off his record time.

 

[calder]

I think some of the time it's just a congenital condition kicking in. It's seems pretty rare, but you see young people die suddenly of heart failure fairly regularly. If a person with an undetected congenital heart defect plays sports, it's likely the heart will fail during play. Every so often you'll see a high school hockey or basketball player die during a game or practise and that's usually what it is.

For pro athletes though, I bet drug/supplement abuse might be part of it too, but I wonder how often.


Bit of a tangent, but last year a coworker sitting behind me lost her 20 year old nephew one day. He was driving home from work and stopped at a restaurant and tried to call home because he wasn't feeling good, and just slumped over a table while the waitress was calling for an ambulance because he was looking so out of it. He died of some strange blood disorder no one knew he had. That shit freaks me out.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

To put all theories to rest about young athletes suddenly dying for any other reason besides bad luck and structural reasons:

IHSS: Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis is another term used synonymously with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). It is an inherited disease of the heart muscle that causes thickening of the heart muscle and other changes to the heart that significantly impair its function. Although the disease is rare, IHSS is the single most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in seemingly healthy young people.

WebMD Glossary

Many have passed when seemingly healthy due to this congenital problem. I can't say why the soccer player died but if you ask any doctor about what disease would suddenly kill a young athletic person, this should instantly come to their mind.

I'm trying to remember the young guy who played college ball 10-15 years back who passed out on the court and died.

 

[Loki]

I'm trying to remember the young guy who played college ball 10-15 years back who passed out on the court and died.

Hank Gathers is the name you're looking for. <non-emotive countenance>

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Loki, quick, inspiration will cause what sided heart murmurs to sound louder?

 

[way more]

Hank Gathers is the name you're looking for.

Loki, you don't have to end every post with a smiley. It's kind of weird in this instance.

 

[Loki]

Loki, you don't have to end every post with a smiley. It's kind of weird in this instance.

Err, I was being helpful; when I'm being helpful, I tend to smile-- or at least not frown. But you're right...it is kinda odd. Then again, I never claimed to be normal. I'll edit the post so as not to offend your sensibilities.

Loki, quick, inspiration will cause what sided heart murmurs to sound louder?

Heh, I dunno-- ask me in 3 years.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Err, I was being helpful; when I'm being helpful, I tend to smile-- or at least not frown. But you're right...it is kinda odd. Then again, I never claimed to be normal. I'll edit the post so as not to offend your sensibilities.



Heh, I dunno-- ask me in 3 years.

Aw, you're no fun. I thought you were farther along, like a 3rd or 4th year.

Right sided, BTW.