A new report from the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC), funded by Bayes Business School, has shown high-level sportspeople can extend their lifespan by up to five years.
The report entitled ‘Marathon or sprint: Do elite-level athletes live longer than average?’, and was conducted by researchers Professor Les Mayhew and Ray Algar based on the health of Commonwealth Games medal winners since the first competition in 1930. It showed that sportsmen saw their life extended by up to 5.3 years, and sportswomen for up to 3.9 years as a result of the heightened activity throughout their careers.
The sports with the greatest impact on longevity for male athletes were aquatics, track and indoor sport (boosting longevity by 29%, 25% and 24% respectively). Female athletes saw longevity boosted by 22% on average across all sports.
Professor Mayhew commented, “We’ve long known that playing sport has a variety of health benefits, but our research shows what a significant impact top-level sport can have on the longevity of the world’s athletes. Perhaps knowing that playing sports increase your chances of a longer life, people of all ages will be encouraged to continue to be physically active throughout their lives.”
