Do Brazilian Olympic athletes live longer than the general population? A retrospective cohort study

Os atletas olímpicos brasileiros vivem mais que a população em geral? Estudo de coorte retrospectivo

Abstract

We investigated if Brazilian Olympic athletes live longer than the general population, and if there are differences between the types of sport. This is a retrospective cohort study with secondary data analysis. Data from Brazilian athletes of both sexes were included, from the 7^th edition (1920) to the 25^th edition (1992) of the Modern Olympic Games. Details of sex, date of birth, date of death, and sport competed were recorded when available. Comparisons were made between athletes vs. age-matched controls from the general population; and between sport types (strength/power [SP] vs. endurance/mixed [EM]). Brazilian Olympic athletes live approx. 8 years longer than expected for the age matched general population. However, there were no differences in lifespan between SP (68.8 years) vs. EM (68.9 years) athletes (p>0.05). Brazilian Olympic athletes live longer than expected for the general population. However, there are no differences between athletes from different sport types.

Key words:
Athletes; Longevity; Life expectancy; Physical activity; Sports