Olympic medalists lifespan comparison
Key Findings:
- Athletes in athletics, basketball, boxing, equestrian sports, and wrestling had significantly shorter lives, according to the NIH.
- Olympic achievement was more strongly linked to length of life in individual sports than in team sports, according to the NIH.
- Olympians, in general, outlived the general population by about 3.4 years
Note
pole vaulting was associated with an 8.4-year extension in lifespan,
gymnastics was linked to an 8.2-year extension
Olympic medalists’ lifespan was shorter than non-medalists
boxing, weightlifting, ice hockey, cycling, football, swimming, and wrestling
the duration of life in athletes involved in these disciplines was highest
athletics, rowing, fencing, artistic gymnastics, shooting, cross-country skiing, sailing, and equestrian sports
Conclusions
Disciplines engaging mostly power link to shorter lifespans,
Disciplines involving predominantly skill associate with longer life durations.
Warning
-
Within the elite athlete population, skill-based athletes live the longest.
But the study does not compare athletes to the general population (non-athletes). -
The link only matters for individual sports, this conclusion doesn’t apply to team sports
(link only matters for individual sports, this conclusion doesn’t apply to team sports)
research: A taste of ambrosia: Do Olympic medalists live longer than Olympic losers?