Participation in recreational cycling, running, and swimming reduced the risk of all-cause mortality by 21%, 23%, and 24%, respectively, compared to no participation in generally healthy adults.
Meta-Analysis (n=2,600,000)
Does participation in specific recreational sports reduce mortality and improve physical health outcomes in generally healthy adults?
Participation in recreational sports such as cycling, running, and swimming is associated with significant reductions in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, while sports like football and handball improve cardiometabolic fitness.
Effect estimate: HR 0.79 (95% CI 0.73, 0.84)
p-value: p=<0.001
BACKGROUND: Several reviews have examined the health benefits of participation in specific sports, such as baseball, cricket, cross-country skiing, cycling, downhill skiing, football, golf, judo, rugby, running and swimming. However, new primary studies on the topic have recently been published, and the respective meta-analytic evidence needs to be updated. OBJECTIVES: To systematically review, summarise and appraise evidence on physical health benefits of participation in different recreational sports. METHODS: Searches for journal articles were conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, SpoLit, SPORTDiscus, Sports Medicine 95% confidence interval CI: 0.80, 0.89), all-cause mortality by 21% (HR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.84), cancer mortality by 10% (HR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.96) and cardiovascular mortality by 20% (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.86); (2) football has favourable effects on body composition, blood lipids, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, cardiovascular function at rest, cardiorespiratory fitness and bone strength (p < 0.050); (3) handball has favourable effects on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.050); (4) running reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 23% (HR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.85), cancer mortality by 20% (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.89) and cardiovascular mortality by 27% (HR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.94) and improves body composition, cardiovascular function at rest and cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.010); and (5) swimming reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 24% (HR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.92) and improves body composition and blood lipids (p < 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: A range of physical health benefits are associated with participation in recreational cycling, football, handball, running and swimming. More studies are needed to enable meta-analyses of health benefits of participation in other sports. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021234839.
Oja et al. (2024) conducted a meta-analysis in Healthy adults (n=2,600,000). Recreational sports participation (e.g., cycling, running, swimming) vs. No participation in the given sport was evaluated on All-cause mortality (Cycling) (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.73, 0.84, p=<0.001). Participation in recreational cycling, running, and swimming reduced the risk of all-cause mortality by 21%, 23%, and 24%, respectively, compared to no participation in generally healthy adults.