All that training, regardless of the sport, my pay off in extra
years, according to two recent studies. Both studies, published
in the BMJ, confirm the fact that the best athletes in the world
are indeed among the healthiest as well, thanks to their
rigorous training regimens. And now it seems that fitness
translates into a survival advantage as well. The first study
looked at the life expectancy of 15,174 Olympians from the top
medal-earning countries including the U.S., Germany, Nordic
nations, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand. The athletes all received at least
one medal during Games between 1896 and 2010 and were compared
to general population groups matched by age, country and gender.
Overall, the Olympic medalists lived an average of 2.8 years
longer than the public in eight of the nine countries in a
30-year followup. The color of the medal, it seems, did not
matter. Gold, silver and bronze medalists all enjoyed the same
survival advantage over non-Olympians. The