Do professional athletes have shorter lifespans?

A recent meta-analysis completed by Garatachea et al. [7] indicated that elite athletes live longer than the general population, with an all-cause pooled standard mortality ratio (SMR) of 0.67 (95 \% confidence interval [CI] 0.55–0.81; P < 0.001).

Do professional athletes live longer than average?

Elite athletes live longer than the general population. Sport-specific differences in mortality, and disease, risk may be evident. More research is needed to examine the impact of an elite sporting career in female athletes with a minimum follow-up period of 30 years.

Are athletes lasting longer?

Depending on the sport, athletes typically peak before 30. At 40, your best days on the field should be well behind you. But today, aging professional athletes compete—and win—for decades longer than before.

What is the average life expectancy of a professional athlete?

The main findings were that performers died the youngest, at an average age of 77.1, followed by athletes with an average age of death of 77.2.

Why do athletes not live longer?

Compared to a life without a competitive sports career, a higher socioeconomic status and the avoidance of general risks during the sports career lead to a longer life span. In contrast, with increasing training load, sport-specific risk factors reduce the life span.

Do Olympians live longer?

Main findings The present study demonstrated that former US Olympians lived on average ~5 years longer than their peers in the general population. The survival gap between Olympians and the general population was bigger in men, although female Olympians lived longer than male Olympians.

Do Olympic runners live longer?

What are the findings? The cohort of 8124 US former female and male Olympians lived 5.1 years longer than the comparable US general population. This longevity advantage is associated with ~2 years of life saved due to lower premature cardiovascular deaths and ~1.5 years due to a lower risk of cancer.

Are athletes healthier in old age?

Former elite athletes estimated to have better health, and they smoked less and were physically more active than their brothers. These findings encourage both athletes and non-athletes to engage in sports at an older age,” Kontro explains.

What are the best sports to help you live longer?

Tennis, badminton and soccer are all better for longevity than cycling, swimming, jogging or gym exercise, according to the research.

Can exercise help you live longer?

Exercise keeps your heart healthy, improving blood sugar levels and blood pressure – and there’s evidence that exercise can keep the brain healthy, too. All this can lead to greater life expectancy, but there has been research into whether particular sports are more conducive to a longer lifespan.

Do Olympic athletes live longer?

The study found that, on average, Olympic medalists lived 2.8 years longer than non-Olympic medalists of the same age and that, compared to non-Olympians, 8\% more of the medalists were still living 30 years after they stood on the podium. The study also dug deeper, looking at which Olympic sports specifically led to longer life expectancy.

Do you need professional sports to bring joy and meaning to life?

You don’t need professional sports to bring joy and meaning to your life. In fact, I would venture to say that professional sports are a major impediment to a fulfilling life. When I was “into” professional sports, I was little more than a irritable, yell-at-the-television lout.