ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global health problem, and the negative health effects associated with inadequate physical activity have become a major societal challenge. It has been known for centuries that regular exercise training may lower the risk of developing CVD, and in the last two decades solid scientific evidence collected from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) indicate that football, due to the intense and intermittent exercise elements of the sport, is effective for lowering cardiovascular risk factors. In this chapter, we discuss the treatment potential of recreational football training and how to prescribe it as ‘medicine’ for CVD patients. We also demonstrate the broad-spectrum impact of football on CVD risk factors, such as adaptations of myocardial structure and function, reductions in resting heart rate, lowering of blood pressure and arterial stiffness and amelioration of plasma lipid profile, favorable changes in body composition and marked increases in maximal oxygen uptake. In this chapter, we review all factors of importance for cardiovascular health from a gender- and age-specific perspective. Finally, we consider the implementation of football for CVD patients, and describe areas of uncertainty and potential new avenues of research into the treatment of CVD with football training.
