Nine lifelong cross-country skiers, with a mean age of 81 years and a history of aerobic exercise and participation in endurance events throughout their lives, were examined to determine their aerobic capacity. Six age-matched, healthy, untrained men were used as a comparison. Results indicated that the athletes had a higher aerobic capacity, heart rate, and workload ability. Compared to their counterparts, the life long athletes had better cardiovascular and skeletal muscle health that was associated with lower risk for disability and mortality. (3)
Compared to non-active participants, an increase in physical activity resulted in a 14% decreased risk for all-site cancer among men; a 16% decrease risk for lung cancer and a 15% decrease for cancer mortality was seen among younger participants (51).
