According to a recent study, NFL players, even the largest lineman, have about the same cardiovascular health as other men their age (although they have more cases of hypertension).
Researchers think that the overall fitness and training levels of the professional athletes might make up for the extra body weight.
You’ve got to pay close attention to any study related to the health of NFL players as almost all of them are used as tools by the league or former players in a longstanding battle over the dollars going to NFL vets.
And let’s be realistic. I can read studies from now until the Super Bowl, and no one is going to convince me that playing in the NFL is not horribly detrimental to one’s health. Everything I’ve read shows a dramatically lower life expectancy for former NFL players, and the longer they play worse the numbers.
