Abstract
BackgroundAmong former Olympic-level athletes, engagement in different sport disciplines has been associated with mortality risk in subsequent years. However, limited evidence is available on whether engagement in different sport disciplines at a young age is associated with locomotive syndrome (LS) risk later in life. This study examined the relationship between engagement in different sport disciplines during university years and LS risk in older age among former university athletes.MethodsParticipants were 274 middle-aged and 294 older men alumni who graduated from a school of physical education in Japan. LS risk was defined as answering “yes” to any of the Loco-check questions. Data on university sports club membership were collected using questionnaires. University clubs were classified into three groups of cardiovascular intensity (low, moderate, high), following the classification system of sport disciplines by the American College of Cardiology. This classification considers the static and dynamic components of an activity, which correspond to the estimated percent of maximal voluntary contraction reached and maximal oxygen uptake achieved, respectively. University clubs were grouped based on the risk of bodily collision (no, yes) and extent of physical contact (low, moderate, high). Relationships between engagement in different sport disciplines and LS risk were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, and adjusted for age, height, weight, joint disease, habitual exercise, and smoking and drinking status.ResultsAdjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals associated with the low, moderate, and high cardiovascular intensity sports were 1.00 (reference), 0.48 (0.22–1.06, P = 0.070), and 0.44 (0.20–0.97, P = 0.042) in older men, respectively; however, there was no significant association between these parameters among middle-aged men. Engagement in sports associated with physical contact and collision did not affect LS risk in either group.ConclusionsEngagement in sports associated with high cardiovascular intensity during university years may reduce the risk of LS in later life. Encouraging young people to participate in such activities might help reduce LS prevalence among older populations.
Highlights
Among former Olympic-level athletes, engagement in different sport disciplines has been associated with mortality risk in subsequent years
Engagement in sports associated with high cardiovascular intensity during university years may reduce the risk of locomotive syndrome (LS) in later life
Overall, 568 participants were included in this study, including 274 middle-aged and 294 older men
Summary
Among former Olympic-level athletes, engagement in different sport disciplines has been associated with mortality risk in subsequent years. As the average age of the Japanese population increases, the number of older adults in need of nursing care grows annually, driving the long-term care insurance expenditure, which more than doubled from 4 to 10 trillion yen between 2000 and 2018 [1]. In this context, in 2007, the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) introduced a concept of locomotive syndrome (LS) [2, 3] to describe people at high risk of musculoskeletal ambulation disability (associated with impaired mobility function, such as sit-to-stand or gait) caused by diseases of the locomotor organ [4]. To develop an effective approach to prevent LS, it is necessary to understand what activities, including types of sport, performed at a young age can reduce the risk of LS
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