The death of 30-year-old Chinese bodybuilding champion Wang Kun has sent shockwaves in the weight training community.
The Anhui Provincial Bodybuilding Association has confirmed his death to be due to a heart-related cause, although details regarding the same are not available. Known for livig a 'monk's life', Wang Kun lived an extremely disciplined life that included a clean diet with smoking or drinking as a part of his lifestyle habits.
Pro bodybuilder @ifbbpro_wangkun passed away at 30Yo 🙏🙏
— Fitness Volt (@fitness_volt) December 18, 2025
1995-2025#bodybuilding #rip #fitnessvolt pic.twitter.com/exTb8afQ0r
However, the news of his death has made many wonder if weight training can be fatal to the heart. As per a study by the European Society of Cardiology, the risk is high.
"Sudden cardiac death is responsible for an unusually high proportion of deaths in male bodybuilders worldwide, with the highest risk among professional bodybuilders," mentioned the study.
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The study also informed that it is generally rare in young and apparently healthy individuals, but it is often linked to underlying heart conditions. Experts who led the study gathered the names of 20,286 male bodybuilders from the official competition records and from an unofficial online database. The researchers then looked for reports of deaths of any of these named competitors, and any reported deaths were veriified to understand the cause of death.
It was found that 121 deaths occurred among the men, with the average age at death of 45 years. Sudden cardiac deaths accounted for 38 per cent of these. The risk of sudden cardiac death was higher among professional bodybuilders, with a more than fivefold increase compared to amateurs, as per the study.
“Bodybuilding involves several practices that could have an impact on health, such as extreme strength training, rapid weight loss strategies including severe dietary restrictions and dehydration, as well as the widespread use of different performance-enhancing substances. These approaches can place significant strain on the cardiovascular system, increase the risk of irregular heart rhythm, and may lead to structural heart changes over time," said Dr Marco Vecchiato from the University of Padova, who led the study.
Consult a health expert to understand if your body can support weight training. Look out for signs like fatigue, dizziness, etc during workout sessions.
For more information, talk to an expert.
