Cardiologist Reveals Cause of Sudden Death During Exercise

Indonesia. Heart attacks often occur in people exercising. These moments are often associated with events that trigger sudden death.

Such was the case with young Chinese badminton athlete Zhang Zhi Jie. Zhang is suspected to have died of cardiac arrest while competing in the 2024 Asian Junior Badminton Championships at the Amongrogo Sports Hall in Yogyakarta on Sunday (June 30, 2024).

However, interventional cardiology consultant from Mayapada Hospital, South Jakarta, Dr. Vireza Pratama, SpJP, Subsp.IKKv(K), FIHA, FAsCC, FSCAI, said that it is necessary to be careful in drawing the line that exercise often triggers heart attacks.

According to him, exercise is not actually the cause of the severity of a disease, such as a disease that leads to a heart attack.

“On the contrary, exercise has long been proven to improve our health, including the health of the cardiovascular system,” said Dr. Vireza. “The question is, is the exercise appropriate?” he said, as reported by detikcom, on Saturday (September 27, 2025).

Vireza said that exercise for the general public is different from exercise for athletes, which is designed with a special diet and training pattern.

In terms of physical abilities, athletes have performance that cannot be compared to most people, although these athletes must also follow the training patterns that have been created by the medical team to stay safe.

“Good exercise (for most people) is exercise that is done at moderate intensity, not heavy exercise,” said Dr. Vireza.

This affirmation aligns with the World Health Organization’s recommendation, which recommends 130-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week for adults. This recommendation equates to 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, 3-5 times a week.

Another factor to consider is individual physical condition. If you have certain conditions, such as a history of heart disease, the amount and type of exercise you do will also need to be adjusted.

“If necessary, we should check our health status at the hospital,” suggested Dr. Vireza.