Olympic athletes live much longer than ‘average Joes’ – but elite AFL and rugby union players don’t
- Written by Reidar P. Lystad, Research Fellow, Macquarie University
You would assume athletes who dedicate their lives to keeping fit and healthy would generally live longer lives.
Elite athletes are expected to live longer because people who are fit are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes) and cancer.
Unfortunately, our new research suggests this does not appear to hold true...
