anyone else notice that athletes dont really seem to live any longer than anyone else?
Yet we are told that exercise helps lengthen life... If that were true, wouldn’t most REALLY old people be x-athletes?
There’s a huge difference between being in shape, and being a genetic freak working out and eating the way they do.
Many professional athletes do terrible damage to their bodies, particularly football players and boxers.
They're trying to reach peak performance in a short period of time, as opposed to pursuing long term health. Injuries play a big part, and the average football player's career is over at 28. Many of these people have had to work out so hard during their careers they have no desire to ever see the inside of a gym again.
On to Gale Sayers, he played during the era when players were legit trying to end careers with some of their hits. The first Sayers injury was a helmet directly to the side of his knee, and yeah it was a deliberate launch.
I happen to know an Ex-NFL offensive lineman. The first thing he did when he retired was to lose 100 lbs, both fat and muscle, as his workout and eating regime changed radically. No way he could have gone through life at 300+ lbs. Now he exercises like a “normal” human being.
Also, his knees are bad and he has broken bones in his neck. He’s more like a wounded war vet in that regard.
Baseball players live longer than the general population. If I remember correctly, righties live longer than lefties. If I remember correctly, this was in an article in Contingencies, the actuarial magazine. I think they also looked at football players.
It is the kind of exercise, and how long regular exercise is practiced after a athlete retires. Most pro athletes get much abuse in their exercise, and many abuse their bodies afterwards. And we do know that lack of exercise and being overweight usually go together, and this combo shortens lives.