What is the leading cause of non-cardiovascular death in young athletes?

Contact sports injuries are a significant source of morbidity but rank below exertional heat illness as a cause of non-cardiovascular death in young athletes.

Anemia impairs oxygen delivery and exercise capacity but is not a leading cause of death in young athletes.

Hypothermia is a risk in cold-weather sports but is far less common as a cause of death compared to exertional heat illness across the general young athlete population.

Exertional heat stroke is the leading non-cardiovascular cause of sudden death in young athletes. Intense physical activity generates significant metabolic heat, and when the body's thermoregulatory mechanisms are overwhelmed, core temperature rises above 40 degrees C, causing multi-organ failure. This risk is compounded by hot and humid environments that impair evaporative cooling.