The occurrence of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in sport is a traumatic event which has gained attention over recent years with incidents involving several high profile athletes. A large post-mortem follow-up study demonstrated that cardiac disease represents 15% of deaths in college age athletes. Inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) are the more frequent cause in athletes of a younger age (under 35) suffering sudden cardiac death. Exercise has been treated with high levels of caution in relation to cardiac conditions and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has provided nuanced guidance in more recent years as research has progressed.
