Olympians
live longer than the general population, according to new research published in
the British Medical Journal.
Olympians live longer than the
general population, according to new research published in the British
Medical Journal.
The study found Olympic medalists
live an average of 2.8 years longer than the general population, regardless of
country of origin, color of medal won, or type of sport played.
Researchers compared life
expectancy among 15,174 Olympic athletes who won medals between 1896 and 2010
with general population groups matched by country, sex, and age.
All medalists lived an average of
2.8 years longer – a significant survival advantage over the general population
in eight out of the nine countries studied.
Gold, silver and bronze medalists
enjoyed roughly the same survival advantage, as did medalists in both endurance
and mixed sports. Medalists in power sports such as gymnastics and tennis had a
smaller, but still significant, advantage over the general population.
“There are many possible
explanations including genetic factors, physical activity, healthy lifestyle,
and the wealth and status that come from international sporting glory,” said
lead author Professor Philip Clarke from the University of Melbourne, who added
that their study was not designed to determine why Olympic athletes live
longer.
“Perhaps the one thing those of
us who do not make the Olympic team can do to increase our life expectancy is
to undertake regular exercise. This has been shown to decrease the risk of big
killers like type 2 diabetes,” he said.
In an accompanying
editorial, two public health experts write that people who do at least 150
minutes a week of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity also have a
survival advantage compared with the inactive general population. Estimates
range from just under a year to several years.
But they argue that, compared
with the successes that have been achieved in tobacco control, “our inability
to improve physical activity is a public health failure, and it is not yet
taken seriously enough by many in government and in the medical establishment.”
The article can be found
at: Clarke PM et al. (2012) Survival of the
fittest: retrospective cohort study of the longevity of Olympic medallists in
the modern era.
Source: BMJ;
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