Large professional athletes such as football linemen face more health risks after their playing days than those who are closer to the size of average people, according to a new study.

Researchers checked metabolic markers such as blood pressure, glucose levels, cholesterol, waist-to-height rations and insulin resistance in 69 current football pros and 155 baseball players.

Football players -- including the 19 guards, tackles, centers and defensive ends -- were more likely to have levels considered risk factors for future disease. They are considered to have cardiometabolic syndrome.

"We expect professional athletes to be in peak physical condition given the demands of their jobs and the amount of time they spend exercising heavily," said Dr. Michael Selden, who wrote the report. "However, there does not seem to be a complete protective effect of exercise, particularly among the larger athletes -- football linemen. Instead, the impact of their sheer size may outweigh the positive benefits of exercise to mitigate their risk for cardiometabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, and insulin resistance."

Other recent studies have found high obesity rates among high school football players, as well.