Figure 1.

Inclusion and exclusion flow chart of the Master@Heart study: the inclusion criteria for all participants were male sex and age between 45 and 70 years. Athletes were defined as follows: questionnaire reported engagement in cycling ≥8 h or running ≥ 6 h per week, or triathlon (combination of swimming, cycling, and running) ≥ 8 h per week for at least 6 months prior to baseline. Non-athletes were defined by engagement in ≤ 3 h per week of physical activity without prior exposure to regular endurance exercise. Exclusion criteria were a medical history of cardiovascular disease, current or past history of smoking, use of any antidiabetic drugs, statins or antihypertensive drugs, a BMI >27.2 kg/m², and a known allergy for iodine contrast agents.