Does elite athletic participation improve lifespan longevity compared to the general population?
Elite athletes generally experience superior lifespan longevity compared to age- and sex-matched controls from the general population.
A majority of studies included in this review reported superior lifespan longevity outcomes for elite athletes compared to age- and sex-matched controls from the general population and other athletes.Several mechanisms within and between sports may have powerful effects on the overall lifespan longevities of players (e.g., type of sport, playing position, race, and energy system).Future research on mortality in elite athletes would benefit from more comprehensive statistical measures and reliable databases to determine potential mechanisms that may influence mortality trends and causes in both athlete and non-athlete samples.
Lemez et al. (Wed,) studied this question.