Young Athletes Are Dying

[OneEyedDiva]

Has anyone else noticed this. Seems like every week an athlete who may be a high school player or in their 20's or early 30's passes away. I've noticed what has seemed like an increase since last year. Most recently Tyler Skaggs, 27, who was a pitcher for the L.A. Angels.

 

[Liberty]

Haven't heard what he may have died from but high Lp(a), a very real heart marker is for young cardiac events/death. Don't think this is tested like it should be.

 

[Trade]

Roids. Or whatever the latest performance enhancing drug happens to be.

 

[AnnieA]

Roids. Or whatever the latest performance enhancing drug happens to be.

That's what I always think of with athletes unless there's obvious injury. It's certainly not always the case, but the use of those substances are widespread.

 

[911]

Well, this has been happening for ages. Each summer, kids have been falling over dead while playing sports, in particular basketball, football and baseball. Basketball, being a year round sport for the past several seasons, claims a lot of young kids, mostly junior high age.

Football practice begins in late July or early August and that sport will also claim several student's lives and baseball, which we think of as a sport which should not be all that risky, takes it share of lives, as well. In summer when the heat is at its' worse, we can become easily dehydrated. This is serious enough, but when you put a kid out on the field for football practice in 85 or 90 degree weather and if that kid already has an unknown heart defect, add to that dehydration, his chances of not becoming ill are slim.

The main reason for death among these youngsters is normally heart related. High school and college athletes are mandated to get a physical before beginning practice, but doctors cannot see inside the heart to know if it is really healthy or not. I have known a few kids myself that have died suddenly. It's really devastating for the parents.

I also remember a kid, maybe 12-15, that was a catcher on a baseball team down in Texas, I believe, and he was hit in the middle of his chest with a foul ball and it stopped his heart. A heart can be stopped (or started) by a sudden and sharp hit to the chest.

Back in the day, football coaches were not allowing their kids enough rest time between doing practice drills and also to become re-hydrated. A lot more kids were falling over, either dead or passed out due to being severely dehydrated. Today, the NCAA (college) and the NFHS (high school) have put forth rules that coaches should follow to make sure that the kids are getting enough time between drills and also to stay hydrated.

Hot days, none to very little rest and lack of fluid all add up to the perfect storm for having a sunstroke. Water has since been replaced by Gatorade. I have done my own research on Gatorade and have found it to be very good, "IF" you are drinking it while training. It is high in sugar and unless you burn it off, we all know that sugar will eventually turn into fat. Personally, I would also stay away from Gatorade's newest version named G2.

 

[911]

Had Len Bias not died from over use of Cocaine, we may be asking, "Michael who?" During the autopsy, it was discovered that Len was probably NOT a long time user of the drug and that he had a very strong heart.

Len Bias had just graduated from the University of Maryland and was drafted by the Boston Celtics. Two days after he signed with the Celtics, he drove back home in Maryland and met up with his friends, who took him out for a night of celebrating, which meant an all night cocaine binge.

Just a few years later, his younger brother Jay, was killed in a drive-by shooting.

 

[WhatInThe]

Roids. Or whatever the latest performance enhancing drug happens to be.

Many don't realize the long term effects even if they used as them as a teen. I've also seen people get into trouble cycling on and off without medical supervision which means they can over do it or come off them too soon. I know such people who had heart trouble by their 40s while working out yet no family history of heart trouble until people reached their 80s. Even then it radical treatment was not necessary. They're taking 3-6 scripts a day and they can't even get bp down.

I'm afraid it will eventually comeout this baseball player who passed will have either od'd on recreational drugs or was using/misusing a supplement, enhancer or steroids.