Key result
Being an Olympic medallist was associated with an 8% higher relative conditional survival at 30 years compared to the general population (RR 1.08), translating to an average of 2.8 additional years of life.
Why the study?
Does being an Olympic medallist improve survival compared to the general population?
Population
15,174 Olympic athletes from nine country groups who won medals in the Olympic Games held in 1896-2010, mean…
Comparison
Being an Olympic medallist vs Matched cohorts in the general population
Design
Cohort
Follow-up
30 years
Authors
Loading...
May inform exercise-longevity hypotheses; leaves open causal mechanisms and generalizability beyond elite athletes.
Cohort (n=15,174)
Does being an Olympic medallist improve survival compared to the general population?
Relative Risk: 1.08 (95% CI 1.07–1.1)
Olympic medallists live an average of 2.8 years longer than matched individuals from the general population, regardless of country, medal type, or sport.
Clarke et al. (2015) conducted a cohort in Olympic athletes (n=15,174). Being an Olympic medallist vs. Matched cohorts in the general population was evaluated on Relative conditional survival at 30 years (Relative conditional survival 1.08, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.10). Being an Olympic medallist was associated with an 8% higher relative conditional survival at 30 years compared to the general population (RR 1.08), translating to an average of 2.8 additional years of life.
Synapse has enriched 4 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: