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Polish scientists have shown that world-class footballers live longer than the rest of the population. Interestingly, goalkeepers are especially long-lived, whose lives are 5 – 8 years longer than their teammates. Four out of nine goalkeepers playing for top European clubs in the 1946/47 season extinguished 85 birthday candles. And this is quite a feat, because they were born before World War II.
- Polish scientists analyzed the complete life expectancy data of 723 players (443 from the World Cup tournaments and 280 from the European leagues) born before 1923.
- The leading goalkeepers lived to be 85 years old, while the average life expectancy of men in the second half of the 60th century was around XNUMX years.
- How do scientists explain the longevity of goalkeepers? One of the most important factors is … the small number of hitting the ball to the head
- More such information can be found on the Onet homepage
Polish scientists analyzed the life expectancy of footballers
It has been known for a long time that practicing various sports can affect life expectancy. However, until now, science has not dealt much with team sports such as soccer. There was a lack of studies on the differences in the life expectancy of midfielders, defenders, strikers and goalkeepers. The Poles took up the challenge.
Dr Witold Śmigielski, dr Robert Gajda, dr hab. Łukasz Małek and prof. Wojciech Drygas, MD, published the results of their research at the end of last year. They try to answer the question whether the player’s position on the pitch affects his life expectancy.
Our scientists examined world-famous footballers born before 1923, who took part in the first three football world championships or played in the 1946/47 season in the leading clubs of European leagues. It is about the world championships played in Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934) and France (1938) and the clubs of the leading European leagues (e.g. Manchester United, Liverpool, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus Turin, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich).
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Where does this longevity of goalkeepers come from?
Scientists have yet to say the last word on the effect of sport on life expectancy, although most studies to date show that athletes do live longer. However, there are also negative aspects to competitive sports. You have to take into account strenuous workouts, the risk of injury, accidents and doping.
Not without significance for health is the huge pressure from fans and the stress associated with the sense of responsibility for the results of the games. We also don’t know much about the lives of outstanding athletes after their careers have ended. Have they abused alcohol and drugs? Or maybe sex?
Over 120 million people worldwide play football, and matches are watched by approximately 3,5 billion fans. Despite the skyrocketing popularity of this discipline, there is no scientific analysis of its impact on the life expectancy of players so far.
Football is a complex game, so different positions on the pitch require different physical abilities and “morphological and physiological characteristics”. Field players should be characterized by strength and high endurance, while goalkeepers should be primarily reflexes.
The study included 723 players, including 443 players from the World Cup tournaments and 280 players from the European leagues. In the second half of the 60th century, the average life expectancy of men was approx. 70 years in the world and approx. 5 years in Europe. In contrast, the life expectancy of footballers was much higher. Goalkeepers lived especially long – 8 to XNUMX years longer than defenders, midfielders and strikers. Interestingly, the researchers did not observe any clear differences in the life expectancy of the playmakers.
Goalkeepers live longer. How to explain it?
First, goalkeepers have different training programs and patterns of physical activity during matches than the rest of the team, the study authors said.
The players who set out in 90 minutes of the game run approx. 10 – 12 km, while goalkeepers cover the distance of 4 – 6 km. In addition, they spend around 75 percent. match with low traffic intensity.
The authors of the article wrote: “The available studies have shown not only significantly lower aerobic capacity, but also fewer injuries among goalkeepers.” Goalkeepers have a level of physical activity similar to that recommended to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Its nature can also influence the appearance of congenital or acquired heart defects. They found that the streaks of intense start-stop exercise that field players often do cause cardiac arrhythmias and pose a greater risk of sudden death.
Head injuries are another factor that can affect player mortality. Repeated concussions from hitting a ball with the head or colliding with another player often lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which can increase the risk of premature death from dementia. However, our scientists point out that, unlike other footballers, “goalkeepers are very rarely hit in the head with the ball.”
Growth also affects life expectancy. Goalkeepers who are usually taller than other players should live shorter lives. On the other hand, they end their sports careers later, thanks to which they stay physically active longer.
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Football promotes longevity
What about genes? Several types of genes have been described that favor a sports career. They are associated with higher performance and endurance of the body. “Nevertheless, the influence of genetic factors on the life expectancy of goalkeepers is still controversial” – add Polish scientists.
However, no one doubts that what counts is post-career behavior.
Activity in competitive sports usually lasts no longer than 25-35 years. When analyzing the lifespan of a player, one cannot forget about the lifestyle and social conditions he found himself in after he finished active sports. Factors that may affect life expectancy are, according to our researchers: “socio-economic status (including professional activity after the end of a sports career), level of education, marital status, access to professional medical care or physical activity after leaving sport”.
The data clearly shows that great footballers live longer than the general public. Similar results were obtained by our scientists in the group of leading Polish footballers, and other researchers in German, Italian and Dutch footballers.
The Polish study concerned players who were at the peak of their careers in the 60s and XNUMXs, i.e. over XNUMX years ago. As its authors note, today’s sport is much more demanding and commercialized. Although training and medical care are at a higher level, we should not underestimate the health risks currently associated with competitive sports.
Polish scientists summarizing their findings stated: “Despite the in-depth analyzes we have made, we are not sure where the long life of goalkeepers, which stands out from the crowd on the field, may come from. We believe that they may be influenced by several factors, such as: at most occasional hitting the ball by goalkeepers, special genetic predisposition, lower intensity of endurance training for fitness and gymnastics, and usually longer activity in competitive sports ”.
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