"Bulking up" may raise athletes' heart disease risk

Not on the basis of this study.

"'Our work demonstrates a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome, an established cardiovascular risk factor, among retired National Football League (NFL) linemen,' said Dr. Marc A. Miller, of Mount Sinai Medical Center, in New York. Football linemen are position players commonly of large body size."

Metabolic syndrome, just this week, has been shown to be not useful in predicting heart disease risk.

But that is not the point. (Though it is important to note that they do not even know if their markers for illness are correct or not. Should you trust them?)

What is important is to control weight after the career is over.

These athletes likely cease training, get fatter, heavier and less muscular changing them from big, muscular, athletes to big, fat, ex-athletes.

That should be the concern.