Do Former Elite Athletes Live Longer? New Evidence From German Olympic Athletes and a First Model Description.

Lutz Thieme,Michael Fröhlich

doi:10.3389/fspor.2020.588204

Abstract

The positive effects of physical activity and recreational sports on health have been well-examined and are well-proven. In contrast, the consequences of extensive elite sports on life expectancy and mortality rates have been described in significantly less unique and comprehensive terms. There is a lack of models that systematically summarize the factors influencing the life span of elite athletes. Therefore, this study identifies the difference between all 6,066 German participants in Olympic Games between 1956 and 2016 and the total population, as well as between participants from the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR), and between the genders. Currently, the survival rate of German Olympians is lower compared to the general population. On the contrary, it was found that Olympic success represents a linear risk for survival probability. While different types of sports do not exhibit any differences, gender and origin (FRG vs. GDR) do represent a significant risk factor. These results are combined with the current state of research to create an impact model of factors influencing the life span of elite athletes.

Highlights

The sustained positive effects of physical activity and recreational sports with moderate to slightly intensive exertion on health, well-being, mobility, and mortality have been well-examined and empirically proven (Blair et al, 1995; Kujala et al, 1998; Garber et al, 2011; Turi-Lynch et al, 2019)
In order to compare the mortality risk of West (FRG) and East German (GDR) Olympic participants with the general population aged 15 and over, the mortality risks of the general population were aggregated across the observation periods (1956–1974; 1975–1994; 1995–2017) and age groups (15–34; 35– 64; 65 and older) and multiplied by the number of associated groups of Olympic participants
Since 1956, the sum of positive and negative effects of elite sports on the mortality of German Olympic participants appears to have been negative in comparison to the general population over 14 years old

Summary

Introduction

The sustained positive effects of physical activity and recreational sports with moderate to slightly intensive exertion on health, well-being, mobility, and mortality have been well-examined and empirically proven (Blair et al, 1995; Kujala et al, 1998; Garber et al, 2011; Turi-Lynch et al, 2019). Empirical evidence of long-term health effects caused by extensive elite sports and of the associated life expectancy is less comprehensive and more heterogeneous (Beaglehole and Stewart, 1983; DeKosky et al, 2018). To estimate long-term health effects resulting from elite sports, survival time analyses are applied. These analyses compare survival rates of elite athletes for a specific country with those of the country’s general population, or they examine the survival rates of elite athletes within various subpopulations (Lee-Heidenreich et al, 2017; Nguyen et al, 2019). Japanese Olympic athletes live longer than the overall Japanese population

Methods

Results

Conclusion