Elite Runners Live Years Longer Than The Average Person, Scientists Find
Running 10 hours a week for more than 120 km (75 miles) is extreme exercise, to be sure. Yet far from pushing the body beyond its limits, a new study suggests some professional athletes are adding years to their lives with such brutal routines.
The analysis includes public health data from the first 200 people to run a mile in under 4 minutes back in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. According to a team of researchers from Canada and Australia, these professional runners lived, on average, almost 5 years longer than the general population.
The findings contradict the view that too much exercise has negative health effects in the long run. Pushing the human body to its max could actually be beneficial, at least for some.
While numerous epidemiological studies suggest that physically active individuals live longer than inactive individuals, it is as yet unclear whether exercising more than recommended is good or bad for health.
The lifestyles of high-intensity athletes who partake in marathons, endurance cycling, or triathlons could be putting undue stress on their hearts, some scientists suggest, putting them at greater risk of early death. But while strenuous exercise can certainly put sedentary individuals at risk of health issues, perhaps the outcomes are different for seasoned athletes.
