Survival of the fittest: the longevity of Olympic medallists in the modern era

Olympians live longer than the general population, according to research from the University of Melbourne published in the British Medical Journal recently.

The study found Olympic medallists live an average of 2.8 years longer than the general population, regardless of country of origin, colour of medal won, or type of sport played.

Researchers compared life expectancy among 15,174 Olympic athletes who won medals between 1896 and 2010 with general population groups matched by country, age, sex, and year of birth.

All medallists lived an average of 2.8 years longer – a significant survival advantage over the general population in eight out of the nine countries studied. Australian athletes were included in this group of nine countries and had similar survival advantages to other countries. 

Gold, silver and bronze medallists enjoyed roughly the same survival advantage, as did medallists in both endurance and mixed sports. Medallists in power sports such as gymnastics and tennis had a smaller, but still significant, advantage over the general population.

Lead author Professor Philip Clarke says the study was not designed to determine why Olympic athletes live longer. 

“There are many possible explanations including genetic factors, physical activity, healthy lifestyle, and the wealth and status that come from international sporting glory,” he says.

“Perhaps the one thing those of us who do not make the Olympic team can do to increase our life expectancy is to undertake regular exercise. This has been shown to decrease the risk of big killers like Type 2 diabetes.”

www.sph.unimelb.edu.au