Key result
Master track and field athletes had a significantly lower risk of natural-cause death compared with healthy controls (HR 0.41; P<0.01) over a 16-year follow-up.
Why the study?
Does long-term participation in master athletics improve health outcomes and reduce mortality in older men?
Cohort (n=879)
Does long-term participation in master athletics improve health outcomes and reduce mortality in older men?
Effect estimate: HR 0.41
p-value: p=<0.01
Long-term participation in master athletics is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases and natural-cause mortality, despite an increased risk of specific tendon ruptures.
May indicate longevity benefit for older male master athletes; hypothesis-generating and requires randomized confirmation before practice change.
OBJECTIVE: To study different aspects of health in master athletes. DESIGN: A 16-year follow-up study. SETTING: Finland. PARTICIPANTS: All male Finnish master athletes (N=102, mean age 58.3 years) who in 1985 participated in track and field athletic World Veterans Games. Controls were men, who as young adults had been classified as completely healthy (N=777, mean age 55.0 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Health questionnaires at baseline (in 1985) and at 10-year and 16-year follow-ups. RESULTS: During follow-up, the master athletes self-rated their health as better (P<0.001) and they coped better with leisure-time daily activities (P=0.024) than controls. The adjusted risk for shoulder region (odds ratio 2.84, P<0.03) and Achilles tendon rupture (14.87, P<0.01) after the age of 45 years was higher in the athletes than in the controls. At the 16-year follow-up, none of the athletes, but 9% of controls reported having diabetes mellitus. The adjusted odds ratio of having at least 1 metabolic syndrome disease was 0.43 (P=0.01) in the athletes compared with the controls. At follow-up among subjects without reported coronary heart disease in 1985, the age-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) in the athletes compared with the controls of death from natural-cause was 0.41 (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Master athletes had a lower risk of chronic diseases than the controls. It remains to be determined how far this advantage is due to initial selection and/or incomplete adjustment for covariates. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There seems to be no such health risks as to why those who have good training background and feel healthy should avoid participating in master athletics.
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Kettunen et al. (2006) conducted a cohort in Health of master athletes (n=879). Master track and field athletics vs. Healthy male controls was evaluated on Death from natural-cause (HR 0.41, p=<0.01). Master track and field athletes had a significantly lower risk of natural-cause death compared with healthy controls (HR 0.41; P<0.01) over a 16-year follow-up.
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