Key result
Brazilian Olympic athletes live ~8 years longer than the general population regardless of sport type.
Why the study?
It was unknown whether Brazilian Olympic athletes live longer than the general population and whether longevity differs across types of sport.
Cohort
Mean Difference: 8
We investigated if Brazilian Olympic athletes live longer than the general population, and if there are differences between the types of sport. This is a retrospective cohort study with secondary data analysis. Data from Brazilian athletes of both sexes were included, from the 7th edition (1920) to the 25th edition (1992) of the Modern Olympic Games. Details of sex, date of birth, date of death, and sport competed were recorded when available. Comparisons were made between athletes vs. age-matched controls from the general population; and between sport types (strength/power [SP] vs. endurance/mixed [EM]). Brazilian Olympic athletes live approx. 8 years longer than expected for the age matched general population. However, there were no differences in lifespan between SP (68.8 years) vs. EM (68.9 years) athletes (p>0.05). Brazilian Olympic athletes live longer than expected for the general population. However, there are no differences between athletes from different sport types.
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Soloaga et al. (2025) reported a cohort. Olympic athlete status vs. Age-matched controls from the general population was evaluated on Lifespan (8 years longer). Brazilian Olympic athletes live approximately 8 years longer than the age-matched general population, with no significant difference in lifespan between strength/power and endurance/mixed sports.
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