Coronary disease & ACSCross-sectional study
Wearable-Derived Training Load and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged and Older Athletes and Physically Active Controls: A New Perspective From the Master@Heart Study
- Cross-sectional analysis of the Master@Heart study
- observational
Authors' conclusion
High training duration (hours/week), particularly when combined with cumulative high-intensity TL (Edwards training impulse), was independently associated with increased prevalence of subclinical CAD in middle-aged and older athletes and physically active controls. Exercise intensity alone, in the absence of high duration, was not clearly linked to CAD.
Study context
- Population
- Middle-aged and older men: lifelong athletes, late-onset athletes and controls
- Participants
- 222 men
- Exposure
- Highest vs lowest quartile of objective wearable-derived training load
- Outcome
- CAD prevalence on coronary CT angiography (≥1 plaque, CAC>0, CAC>100)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
CAD by quartiles of objective Edwards training impulse
Q4 vs Q1Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
≥1 plaque
5.85(2.33–14.71)
CAC>0
5.03(2.04–12.35)
CAC>100
3.50(1.22–10.00)
- Unadjusted global difference across quartiles, ≥1 plaque
- P < 0.001
- Unadjusted global difference across quartiles, coronary artery calcification (CAC)>0
- P = 0.002
- Unadjusted global difference across quartiles, CAC>100
- P = 0.012
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Objective training duration and relative time in high-intensity zones (quartiles)
- Similar associations for objective training duration; no clear associations for relative time in high-intensity zones
Continuous training load (TL) analyses
- Edwards training impulse and objective training duration positively associated with ≥1 plaque and CAC>100
- P < 0.05
- Self-reported training duration associated only with CAC>100
- P < 0.05
- Self-reported MET-minutes/week not associated with coronary artery disease (CAD)
- P > 0.05
Original publication
Wearable-Derived Training Load and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged and Older Athletes and Physically Active Controls: A New Perspective From the Master@Heart Study. Circulation. Published 29 January 2026. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.125.077117
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it