After football, rugby or hockey: the health issues that follow you

Your weight trajectory matters more than today's number

Many linemen, forwards and defensemen were coached to gain weight. The Football Players Health Study at Harvard found that former players gained an average of about 40 pounds from high school to the present, mostly during their playing years.

That gain carried risk. For every 10 pounds gained between college and professional play, the study found a 25% higher risk of sleep apnea, 14% higher risk of heart disease, 13% higher risk of neurocognitive impairment and 11% higher risk of cardiometabolic conditions.

If you have since slimmed down, that is a real achievement. It is still worth knowing what happened to your blood pressure, glucose, liver and sleep along the way, because some changes do not reverse on their own.

Sleep apnea is the finding most often missed

In April 2026, researchers reported on nearly 2,000 former professional football players. About 32% had been diagnosed with sleep apnea, but when screening results for undiagnosed men were added, the estimated rate rose to about 69%. More than half of those with sleep apnea did not regularly use CPAP.

Men with undiagnosed or undertreated apnea reported more anxiety, depression, chronic pain and memory concerns. Male sex, high body mass and a thick neck all raised risk, and those traits are common in collision sports.

Untreated sleep apnea raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke and can make you feel foggy all day. It can also lower testosterone. Diagnosis requires a sleep study, which HealifyMD does not perform, but we screen for it and refer you.

Function: the quiet cost of old injuries

A 2023 review of midlife former athletes found that team-sport athletes, who had higher injury rates, may perform worse on functional tests and have poorer cardiometabolic health than people who were simply active as young adults.

The mechanism is easy to picture. A bad knee or shoulder makes running, lifting or even long walks harder. Activity drops, weight rises, and metabolic markers follow. Joint injury is also a known risk factor for osteoarthritis.

What to check if you played a collision sport

Your HealifyMD clinician can order the lab work and review it with you. Physical exams, imaging and orthopedic care happen in person.

• Blood pressure, measured at home over several days
• Lipids with apoB and Lp(a), glucose, HbA1c and liver enzymes
• Testosterone with SHBG, repeated in the morning if low
• A sleep apnea screening questionnaire and, if positive, a sleep study
• An honest look at pain, alcohol use and mood
• Function: can you carry, climb and get up from the floor without trouble?

Concussion history is a separate conversation

Repeated concussions can lead to longer recovery and lingering problems with concentration, memory, headaches and balance, according to the CDC. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy cannot be diagnosed with a blood test. If you are worried about memory, mood or behavior changes after a career of head impacts, see a neurologist or a clinic that specializes in former athletes.

We will not tell you your memory complaints are just low testosterone or poor sleep without that evaluation. Sleep apnea and hormones can contribute, but they do not rule out other causes.

Eating like a player after you stop playing

Many collision athletes ate to gain or hold size for years, often with large portions, late meals and plenty of protein shakes. When training stops, appetite and habits often do not get the memo. Weight that was once partly muscle shifts toward fat, especially around the middle.

This is not a willpower problem. It is a mismatch between an eating pattern built for a job you no longer have and a body that now burns far less. Recognizing that pattern is often the first useful step, and it is one reason we ask about your playing weight and your current routine, not just the number on the scale.

Alcohol often joins the picture after retirement, too, through team culture, social life or managing pain. It adds calories, worsens sleep apnea and raises blood pressure, so we will ask about it plainly and without judgment.

Where treatment fits

If your labs and history support it, options may include a medical weight program, testosterone therapy after confirmed deficiency, or treatment of other findings. For weight, GLP-1 medicines work alongside eating changes and strength training, not instead of them. Building strength protects joints and muscle as weight comes off.

Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and are not the same as branded products. Every plan starts with a clinician deciding whether treatment is appropriate at all.