Playing professional football is a dream for many athletes. It offers fame, fortune, and the chance to be part of a beloved sport. But there’s a question that’s been on people’s minds:
Does playing football mean you’ll live longer? Recent studies seemed to suggest that it might. However, a new study from the University of Minnesota is challenging this idea.
Football is a physically demanding sport.
Players often experience injuries and health problems related to their careers. Some of these health issues, such as heart and brain problems, have raised concerns about the long-term effects of playing football.
But despite these challenges, previous studies indicated that professional football players tend to live longer than the average American man. This surprising finding led researchers to dig deeper.
The University of Minnesota Study
A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota decided to investigate whether playing professional football really had a significant impact on how long players lived.
They believed that comparing football players to the general population might not provide the most accurate picture.
In their study, the researchers made two important comparisons:
1950s Football Players: They looked at men who were drafted to play professional football in the 1950s. Some of these men played professionally, while others did not.
By comparing these two groups, the researchers aimed to understand if playing professional football affected lifespan.
Surprisingly, they found that players who were linemen tended to live shorter lives than those who didn’t play football. However, other position players had lifespans similar to non-football-playing men.
Modern Football Players: The researchers also compared modern football players, those who started their careers in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, to a group of men who were similar in many ways.
These men were employed, not disabled, not in poverty, and had completed at least three years of college. When they compared these two groups, they found that, overall, football players had a slightly higher survival rate.
However, the difference was not significant enough to conclude that playing football led to a longer life.
So, what can we take away from this research? It’s clear that the relationship between playing professional football and how long you live is complex.
While some studies suggested that football players live longer, this new research adds nuance to the picture. It indicates that specific positions on the football field might have different effects on players’ lifespans.
Conclusion
The idea that playing professional football guarantees a longer life is not supported by this study. Instead, it suggests that the impact of football on players’ longevity is more nuanced than previously thought.
While there may be some advantages to playing football, especially in terms of overall health, it’s essential to consider the potential risks associated with the sport.
As discussions continue about the health effects of playing football, studies like this one contribute to our understanding of the topic and help us make more informed decisions about the game.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about breakfast linked to better blood vessel health, and drinking too much coffee could harm people with high blood pressure.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and results showing plant-based protein foods may help reverse diabetes.
The research findings can be found in PNAS.
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