Former Japan soccer player Matsuda dies of cardiac arrest at 34

This is such a sad story. 30 plus years of exercise and performance. One will never know the answer to long life until the end of a long life. Everyone must do his or her best every day.

Very sad, he was too young to go. Lifetime of training and fitness I guess is never a 100% guarantee to perfect health. May his soul RIP

This isn't the first time this has happened. Marc Vivien-Foe, the Motherwell captain of a few years ago died in the same way. So did a teenage GAA player in my native Ireland. It's not that they died despite being so fit, they died becsuse they were so fit. There are some quite mild abnormalities with the heart which, when combined with extreme fitness levels/training, can result in death. Footballers aren't the only people to have the abnormalities, but only pro sports players tend to subject their bodies to enough physical stress to make an otherwise unproblematic abnormality become a problem.

has died... rip...

Ah... :(

rest in peace

shocked household here .... wow....

Such at loss at an early stage. My feelings are with his wife and his 3 young children. Very sad news indeed.

sad news.

Tragic news. RIP

How do they know he died of a heart attack? Was there a autopsy?

heat stroke?

No. they said on the telly it was only 24 degrees, and he'd been training for ten minutes. Cardiac trouble's like that... no respecter of age or fitness :(

Skep.

Yes, they can myself had a scare not too recently, on meds now and been free of symptoms for a few weeks.

But you need to know your own body, etc to notice the symptoms. Shortness of breath is a good one while climbing stairs, etc.

Once you get past 25/30 you need to take care. Sad but true, once you hit the 4-0 ......

Judging from the news, his club Matsumoto Yamaga is taking heat because their trainers didn't have or use an AED, which according to the doctors that treated Matsuda may have significantly increased his chances of surviving the heart attack. I saw the owner reporting to the media that as of today the club had rented AEDs and made them a standard piece of the trainers' kit. Unfortunately a day late and a dollar short for Matsuda...

bookowls.

There is an OLD saying:

If you want to feel young socialise with the young. If you want to feel old try keeping up.

You still doing fine and can hold your own?

How the heck can you die just like that at the age of 34 and in good shape?

A real tragic loss for his family, friends and for the entire Japanese footballing community. We remember you and thank you for your outstanding performances, Matsuda-san, and we wish your family the very best in this most devastating of times.

Osakadaz

I realize that an AED isn't the magic bullet that saves heart attack patients but IMO it's inexcusable in this day and age for a professional sports club like Yamaga to have not had an AED on hand as part of their team trainers equipment. I'm a little surprised to hear that AEDs aren't widely available Down Under.

This morning MSN reported that Andy Collins, a 27 year old former college QB, died on 02 August of an apparent heart attack while working out on a treadmill. Yesterday I read about two h.s. students in Georgia who died after football practice (these may have been heat related). Now this article....

Makes me wonder if my trying to stick to a (fairly) healthy lifestyle is worth it....

There are some quite mild abnormalities with the heart which, when combined with extreme fitness levels/training, can result in death. Footballers aren't the only people to have the abnormalities, but only pro sports players tend to subject their bodies to enough physical stress to make an otherwise unproblematic abnormality become a problem. Reminds me of Bruce Lee.

So sad. Not the first time a well tuned athlete has collapsed and died on the field or in training. Unfathomable!

He actually had an acute cardiac infarction. Some blood clots stopped his heart. He was exercising so hard on field on very hot day. It happened to athletes in some countries in the past.

Rest in Peace, Matsu-San. What a sad story. He was a gun player and by all accounts a gentleman. Just goes to show these things can cut ANYONE down in their prime - even super-fit elite sportsmen who have constant medical checks. Just have to try and enjoy the time you have, I guess.

I'm 51 and I officiate football (American) at the high school level and lower. We had a talk by an NFL official one year who commented, "The thing to remember is every year you're getting older but those players are always going to be 18 years old. What you did to get ready for the season last year may not be enough for this year. Adjust accordingly." Perhaps at 34, Matsuda was trying to adjust too much.

My jaw hit the floor reading this. Who would have guessed his number was up? He was one of those you liked to say was "the picture of perfection" when he was playing soccer. Wow. My prayers go to his family and those who were closest to him. May he rest in peace.

So sad. Too young! Rest in peace.

I still don't see where they can say it was from a heart attack with no science behind the statement. Granted coronary arterial spasm caused by drugs, emotional stress, exposure to extreme cold, or smoking can lead to sudden death, but so can CHD. BTW, a hard hit to the chest can stop a heart but I wouldn't call it a heart attack. As for AED, that should be required in all public places. Many things can stop someone heart at any age, AED is your best hope. Since there should have been a team doctor, they should have a defibrillator just in case. Besides the players, you have the coaches and managers. Still it is said that they could do anything for him on onset; CPR at the very least. You have 4 minutes.

Same thing happened to Kimura Takuya (not SMAP but the baseball player) last year.

heat stroke?

Sad news, may he rest in peace.

@Zenny11 - "once you hit the 4-0..."??? Bit melodramatic.

Skeptical Hippo: "So anyone can get a heart attack like that no matter how fit they are? Scary!"

Yes, but of course age and lifestyle factors can make certain types of heart attacks at a much higher risk of occurring. For other people, who seem completely healthy, there could just be something faulty with the heart that suddenly results in a heart attack.

Regardless, this is the result, and it's sad. Some people last evening we're saying the situation looked grim, and it appears that they were right. RIP to a great player, and a husband and father.

Died fit and in training, makes a mockery of be fit live long doesnt it. RIP Matsuda san

"So anyone can get a heart attack like that no matter how fit they are? "

Yes but no.... If you have some undetected irregularity, no matter how perfect is your lifestyle, that may happen. But I don't believe that high level athletes have 500 times the % of such defects than general population. I believe they are 500 times more junkies.

They should have some idea what caused the cardiac arrest. And if that's what it was, what they are not saying is that he was on life support and then the plug was pulled.

So anyone can get a heart attack like that no matter how fit they are? Scary!