Key result
Prolonged strenuous endurance exercise undergoes long-term prospective evaluation for mortality and morbidity in older athletes.
Why the study?
Health outcomes and functional capacity related to upholding strenuous endurance exercise beyond the age of 65 years are sparsely studied.
Does prolonged strenuous endurance sport practice reduce mortality and morbidity in older recreational athletes compared to less physically active individuals?
Cohort (n=551)
Does prolonged strenuous endurance sport practice reduce mortality and morbidity in older recreational athletes compared to less physically active individuals?
This prospective cohort study will provide long-term data on the associations between life-long strenuous endurance sport participation and mortality, morbidity, and functional decline in older athletes.
Establishes prospective cohort of older endurance athletes for follow-up; leaves open effects on mortality and morbidity versus less active peers.
BACKGROUND: While regular physical activity is associated with reduced mortality and morbidity in general populations, health outcomes and functional capacity related to upholding strenuous endurance exercise beyond the age of 65 years are only sparsely studied. The aim of this study is to assess associations of prolonged strenuous endurance sport practice with ageing, functional decline, morbidity and longevity among older recreational endurance athletes, during long-term follow-up. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of older recreational endurance athletes in Norway. All skiers aged 65 years and older who participated in a long-distance endurance competition, the annual 54-km Birkebeiner cross-country ski race in 2009 or 2010, were invited. The participants answered an extensive baseline questionnaire about lifestyle habits, including leisure-time physical activity and endurance sport participation, diseases, medication use and physical and mental health, with follow-up questionnaires planned every fifth year until 2029. New participants may be invited with the aim to increase the study size. Endpoints such as all-cause and disease-specific mortality, incidence and cumulative prevalence of diseases, use of medication, physical and mental health and functional decline will be assessed subsequently. Out of 658 invited skiers (51 women), 551(84%) completed the baseline questionnaire and were included in the study. The mean age was 68.8 years (median 68, range 65- 90). At baseline, the participants had completed the Birkebeiner race for an average of 16.6 years and reported an average of 33.4 years of regular endurance exercise, with one out of five reporting at least 50 years of exercise. In all, 479 (90%) reported that they were still practicing leisure-time physical activity of moderate or vigorous intensity at least twice weekly. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases was low. DISCUSSION: This prospective study of a cohort of recreational athletes exposed to prolonged and strenuous endurance exercise, could complement population-based studies by providing data on associations between life-long endurance sport participation, aging, functional decline and health outcomes during long-term follow-up.
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Myrstad et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Healthy aging in endurance athletes (n=551). Prolonged strenuous endurance sport practice vs. Less physically active individuals (planned comparison) was evaluated on All-cause and disease-specific mortality, incidence and cumulative prevalence of diseases (planned). The Birkebeiner Ageing Study enrolled 551 older recreational endurance athletes with an average of 33.4 years of regular endurance exercise to prospectively evaluate the long-term health outcomes of prolonged strenuous exercise.
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