Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults predict future CVD morbidity and mortality. In college students, few studies have compared student athletes to less active non-athlete students matched based on age and body mass index (BMI) kg/m2. The primary study objective was to compare CVD risk status between collegiate football student athletes (SA) and sedentary to moderately active student non-athletes (SMS) with similar BMI levels classified as overweight to stage 2 obesity (≥25.0–<40 kg/m2). Secondary objectives included evaluating differences in body composition, dietary intake, physical activity (PA) and fitness level. Forty college males (20 SA; 20 SMS) 20.3 + 1.6 years of age with mean BMI 30.4±3.8 (25.6-39.5) kg/m2; were analyzed. Risk factors were assessed individually and as a composite CVD risk score (cCVDs) including total blood cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), TC/HDL, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, resting blood pressure and waist circumference. Covariates included body fat percentage, estimated maximal oxygen consumption, PA and dietary behavior. The cCVDs were not significantly different between SA and SMS (p=0.34). Both groups did not meet national heart health dietary targets except for total fat intake. In summary, >50% of participants had ≥1 risk factor though the prevalence of risk factors did not differ between SA and SMS despite SA having a higher daily average of minutes of moderate to vigorous PA.
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