Various Leisure-Time Physical Activities Associated With Widely Divergent Life Expectancies: The Copenhagen City Heart Study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective observational cohort study following participants over time for mortality outcomes.
PubMed 30193744 · doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.06.025
What was done
The Copenhagen City Heart Study tracked 8,577 participants who completed detailed questionnaires regarding participation in various leisure-time sports and physical activities between October 10, 1991, and September 16, 1994. Participants were followed for up to 25 years for all-cause mortality until March 22, 2017. Relative risks and multivariable-adjusted life expectancy gains compared to a sedentary group were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for confounding variables.
What was found
Compared with sedentary individuals, multivariable-adjusted gains in life expectancy varied across activities: tennis was associated with a 9.7-year gain, badminton with 6.2 years, soccer with 4.7 years, cycling with 3.7 years, swimming with 3.4 years, jogging with 3.2 years, calisthenics with 3.1 years, and health club activities with 1.5 years.
Why it matters
This study shows that different types of physical activities are associated with widely divergent longevity benefits, with socially interactive sports demonstrating the largest life expectancy gains.
Limits
The observational design cannot establish causality or exclude residual confounding, such as socioeconomic status or baseline health differences between participants choosing different sports. The abstract does not report confidence intervals, exact activity frequency, intensity, duration, or whether participation changed over the 25-year follow-up period.