Aim. The aim of this article is to review literature data on the modern concepts of connective tissue dysplasia (CTD), its prevalence and impact on adaptive abilities in children and young persons, including those engaged in sports and exercise activities. Results. Most studies demonstrate the prevalence of CTD in athletes compared with non-athletes. This paper presents the data on the impact of CTD on the ability of young athletes to adjust to regular intense exercise loads as well as to associated life risks. Conclusions. The article deals with various opinions on possible maladaptation of the cardiorespiratory system to physical loads in athletes with CTD and correlations between CTD and sudden cardiac death in young athletes. Taking into account the extremely high frequency of the detection of cardiac dysplasia markers (98%) and other phenotypic signs of CTD during the postmortem examination of sudden cardiac death in young athletes, we paid special attention to life threatening arrhythmias associated with dysplasia of the cardiorespiratory system. Moreover, we highlighted the issues of the admission to trainings for athletes with various types of CTD and practicability of individualized approach and training corrections depending on CTD manifestation.