Death in sports and recreation

In a 10 year survey of deaths during sports and recreation, 110 deaths occurred and 80% of these were due to unnatural causes, the majority being drowning. Twenty-two cases were due to natural causes mainly due to failure of the circulatory system. The mechanism of death was briefly discussed and it was deemed advisable for those who are going to undertake a training programme in running or athletics to have a medical examination. This is especially important if one is over 30 years of age and have family history of heart disease and high blood pressure and those who led a sedentary life.