Scientists studied female bodybuilder mortality for the first time — the results are alarming
Bodybuilding has turned out to be the most dangerous sport for women — and it’s not just about injuries. A large-scale study has shown for the first time that female bodybuilders die from sudden cardiac arrest and even commit suicide significantly more often than female athletes in any other discipline. Against the backdrop of regular training, this looks especially stark: sport can indeed strengthen the body, but not every type of exercise is beneficial.
The First Large-Scale Study of Mortality Among Female Bodybuilders
Before this study, scientists had primarily focused on men. The number of women in bodybuilding is growing, but data on health risks for them was virtually nonexistent. A team led by Dr. Marco Vecchiato from the University of Padua (Italy) set out to change that.
The researchers collected data on 9,447 female bodybuilders who had participated in at least one International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness tournament between 2005 and 2020. Among them, at least 32 deaths were recorded. The average age at death was just 42 years.
This is the first large-scale study of its kind — and its results proved alarming.
Moderate strength training is beneficial for health — unlike extreme competitive bodybuilding
Sudden Cardiac Death — The Leading Cause of Death Among Female Athletes
Sudden cardiac death occurs when the heart stops unexpectedly, without obvious warning signs, in an apparently healthy person. Sometimes there are warning symptoms before sudden cardiac arrest, but they can easily be mistaken for ordinary fatigue or stress. Among ordinary young people, this is an extremely rare occurrence. But in bodybuilding, the picture is different.
One in three deaths among female bodybuilders (31%) was caused specifically by sudden cardiac arrest. Moreover, the risk for professional athletes was tens of times higher than for amateurs.
Why does the heart fail? Dr. Vecchiato explains: extreme strength training, strict diets bordering on starvation, dehydration before competitions, and the use of performance-enhancing drugs — all of this places an enormous burden on the cardiovascular system. Over time, this can lead to arrhythmia and structural changes in the heart.
Why Bodybuilding Is More Dangerous for Women’s Mental Health Than for Men’s
While male bodybuilders actually suffer more from cardiac risks than women, the situation with mental health is the opposite. The study revealed a disturbing pattern: suicides and homicides accounted for nearly 13% of all deaths among female bodybuilders. Among men, this figure is more than four times lower.
Psychological pressure in bodybuilding can be no less destructive than physical exertion
Scientists link this to the particular pressures experienced by female athletes: constant anxiety about appearance, extreme body demands, and social stigmatization. The researchers directly point to a “greater psychosocial vulnerability” of women in this sport.
How Bodybuilding Destroys the Hearts and Minds of Female Athletes
It’s important to understand: the problem is not with strength training per se. Moderate resistance training is beneficial for both the heart and overall health. The danger lies specifically in competitive bodybuilding with its extreme approach to body transformation.
Here is what creates the main risks:
- Strict diets and dehydration — disrupt electrolyte balance, which can trigger arrhythmia
- Anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs — lead to thickening of the heart walls and ischemic heart disease
- Extreme training loads — cause structural changes in the heart muscle
- Constant stress and pressure over appearance — undermine mental health
Autopsies of deceased male bodybuilders typically revealed enlarged or thickened hearts. For women, autopsy data remains extremely scarce — this is one of the issues highlighted by the study’s authors.
How Women Can Reduce the Risks of Bodybuilding for Heart and Mental Health
Regular strength training is not dangerous — on the contrary, it is beneficial for health and quality of life. The problem lies specifically in the extreme “at any cost” approach to body transformation. Here is what experts recommend:
- Get regular cardiac check-ups if you train with heavy weights
- Do not use anabolic steroids or other banned substances
- Avoid drastic dehydration and starvation for the sake of “cutting”
- Monitor your mental state — seek help if you notice signs of anxiety, depression, or obsessive thoughts about appearance
- Remember that radical body transformation is not simply an aesthetic choice but a serious burden on all body systems
According to the authors, the impact of harmful habits on health also deserves special attention — combined with extreme physical demands, they become even more destructive.
This study is an important signal not only for female athletes but also for coaches, federations, and physicians. Bodybuilding remains one of the few sports where anti-doping control is minimal and medical monitoring is virtually absent. According to the scientists, it is time to change this — and the place to start is with regular checks of not only physical but also mental health of athletes.
