Cyclists are at Tour de France live six years longer Professional cyclists participating in the Tour de France live on average six years longer than ordinary mortals, despite doping problems and premature deaths of riders like Tom Simpson , Marco Pantani and Laurent Fignon , according to French researchers . These surprising results were presented Tuesday at the congress of the European Society of Cardiology held until Wednesday in Amsterdam and is based on the study of 786 French cyclists who participated in the race since 1947 , when testing was resumed after the WWII. In the period studied (1947-2012) " mortality ( from any cause) is these elite athletes is 41 % lower than the rest of men living in France," he told AFP Professor Jean - François Toussaint Medical Research Institute of Sport ( IRMES ), which has conducted the study with researchers Eloi Marijon and Gregory King. "We have also studied the doping over time and there is no difference in mortality ," said the expert, although he admitted that " for the most recent period , since the early 1990s, the massive entry of EPO and growth hormone that exploded with the Festina affair and confession of Lance Armstrong , there is not enough long-term perspective . " "At the moment , there is no measurable impact " on the next generation of athletes , "hence the need for further study ." The French account for 30 % of all participants in the Tour who have completed at least once a bike race . Of the cyclists studied ( 786 ) , had died, to September 1, 2012 , 208 ( 26 % ) , of which two thirds had died from cancer or cardiovascular causes , according to the study authors , who needed to know the all causes of death since 1968. Overall, the life expectancy of these cyclists is about 6.3 years on average than the rest of the male population . " This increase in life expectancy is valid for all age groups , except for what smenores of 30, who have the same mortality rate as the rest of the population " , as a result of traumatic risks ( accidents, falls, etc. ) , said Toussaint. However, the authors noted that participants in the Tour are part of a selection of elite athletes in good health. According to the authors of the study, the result is explained by the relationship between the physical and life expectancy : many of the runners are playing sport after his retirement as a professional and little smoke. We have yet to find if there is also a genetic predisposition to lengthen the lives of these athletes. The potential effects of doping have been analyzed by measuring the rate of mortality in three periods: the years 1950-1960 ( during the heyday of amphetamines ) to 1970-1980 ( anabolic steroids ) did not change mortality . Although new forms of doping in the last two decades (EPO and growth hormone ) , the longevity of French athletes has not been reduced , although the researchers cautioned that it is impossible to estimate the lifetime of bikers this last time. According to Toussaint , now the results should be confirmed by a similar study with cyclists from other countries. .
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 02:39:57 +0000
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