They outlive general public by several years, shows study of first 200 to achieve this feat Extreme exercise doe

Under 4-minute milers’ longevity shows that extreme exercise doesn’t seem to curb lifespan

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2024-05-10 15:00:06

They outlive general public by several years, shows study of first 200 to achieve this feat

Extreme exercise doesn’t seem to shorten the lifespan as is widely believed, suggest the findings of a study on the longevity of the first 200 athletes to run a mile in under 4 minutes, and published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

They outlive the general population by several years, shows the study, which marks the 70th anniversary of the seminal achievement of Roger Bannister, who was the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes in May 1954.

While regular moderate exercise is considered a pillar of healthy ageing, it has long been thought that exposing the body to bouts of extreme endurance exercise may push it too far and shorten life expectancy, say the researchers.

The repeated bouts of near maximal to maximal exercise performed by mile runners makes them a unique group in which to test the potential impact of extreme intense exercise on longevity, they explain.