The Olympic torch will finally be lit for the 2020 Olympics next week in Tokyo! More than 11,000 athletes will compete in 339 events representing 33 different sports. Before the Opening Ceremony begins, we will explore which sport is the best type of exercise. Six different Olympic sports, tennis, running, cycling, weightlifting, golf and soccer, will be examined in terms of their exercise benefit but also some rarely considered downsides. Orthopedic risks will not be covered; that is a topic for another time and for another writer.
Exercise can be divided into two distinct classes: dynamic or isotonic exercise and static or isometric exercise. Most high intensity dynamic exercise is done aerobically. Dynamic exercise increases cardiac output and cardiac endurance. Static exercise is mostly anaerobic, strengthens and increases muscle mass, increases bone density and helps with balance and coordination. These two types of exercise are at the opposite end of the spectrum, but most sports involve both static and dynamic components.
Tennis is a sport with worldwide appeal, played by professionals as well as recreational athletes. Tennis has a high dynamic component but a low static component: it builds cardiac endurance but doesn’t add a lot of muscle mass. Do the beneficial cardiac effects of tennis translate into better outcomes? The Copenhagen Heart Study followed 8500 people for 25 years and concluded that playing tennis increased life span by 9.7 years compared to sedentary individuals. In fact, tennis was the top sport for extending life span, providing more years than running, cycling or weightlifting. In another study of 80,000 British adults, tennis reduced the chance of death by 47% and cardiovascular disease by 59%. Tennis certainly provides an exercise benefit, but why is it so effective at extending life compared to other sports? One reason may be that tennis players had the lowest body mass index in the Copenhagen study. In addition, the social aspect of tennis may be a factor. Socializing during and after tennis matches is quite common and it is known that having strong social connections improves quality and quantity of life. In addition, there is the mental aspect of tennis; there is a constant “mental chess game” throughout a match, helping to improve cognition and reduce the risk for dementia. What are the hidden risks for tennis? One study calculated the sun exposure risk for the various Olympic sports in Tokyo. With higher sun exposure, the risk for melanoma and other skin cancers increases. The study concluded that tennis players had the highest risk for sun exposure due to long daytime matches, the reflective surface of the courts and clothing that is breathable but not protective from the sun’s rays.
The track and field events are among the most exciting contests of the Olympics. The men’s 100 meter dash crowns the “World’s Fastest Man” and the marathon is a signature event. Recreational running is one of the most popular sports worldwide with almost 60 million participants. Sprinting is a moderate dynamic, moderate static exercise while long distance running is high dynamic, low static. Running will extend life by 3.2 years (Copenhagen study) and reduce the risk for dying by 43% (British study). However, running may not be fully protective against the development of heart disease. Several studies have shown that runners have high coronary calcium scores and more plaque in the heart arteries than would be expected. In addition, studies have found more scar in the heart muscle of long distance runners. The reason for the scar and the heart plaque is not clear, as is the significance of these findings.
Cycling is a high dynamic, high static sport. Cycling will increase longevity by 3.7 years (Copenhagen study) and reduces the risk for death (British study). In addition, a long-term study found that Tour de France riders lived longer than the average French male. Cyclists had a lower coronary calcium score and less heart artery plaque than runners, soccer players or tennis players. What are the hidden downsides to cycling? Cyclists had the third highest sun exposure due to long periods of riding outdoors and the body’s position which tends to catch more of the sun’s rays compared to other athletes. Another factor to consider is that cycling is non-weight bearing, so it may put too little pressure on the bones. This was proven in a study showing that cyclists had a lower bone density than runners.
Weightlifting is at the other end of the spectrum compared to the previously mentioned sports. It is the classic low dynamic, high static exercise; it is designed to increase muscle mass and build bone strength. Does weightlifting reduce the risk for dying? The data is less clear for weightlifting compared to endurance sports. One study of 18,000 US adults showed that weight lifting was not associated with reduced mortality. Why is this? One study of weightlifters showed that blood pressure rises rapidly and to very high levels during lifting (the average peak systolic blood pressure was over 300 mmHg). These high pressures thicken the heart muscle. While a large biceps muscle is good for fitness, a thickened heart muscle puts the athlete at risk for arrhythmias and congestive heart failure.
Golf is classified as a low dynamic and low static sport. Despite the low aerobic and muscle building potential, regularly playing golf can raise life expectancy by about 5 years. This proves the point that any activity is better than being sedentary. Another factor may be the socializing aspect of golf. On the downside, golf has the second highest sun exposure risk. In addition, there is the Mark Twain quip about golf being “a good walk spoiled”.
Soccer is the most popular sport around the world and a good number of people play soccer for fun on the weekend as well. Soccer, like tennis and long distance running, is a high dynamic, low static exercise. Soccer will extend life by 4.7 years (Copenhagen study). A study of former Scottish soccer players found a lower risk for dying and heart disease compared to the general population. However, the same study found a much higher risk for dementia. All of those headers seemed to have taken their toll.
Currently choosing a sport is a matter of personal preference but can a more precise exercise regimen be tailored to the individual? The answer is yes. By using your own data from a stress test, a cardiologist can issue a personalized exercise prescription (http://sportscardiology.blogspot.com/2017/08/an-exercise-prescription-to-get-fitt.html). Even more precision may be on the horizon. Researchers at Harvard found 102 proteins in the blood that may be able to predict a person’s response to physical exercise. So, based on their blood profile, one person may be prescribed endurance exercise while another might be nudged towards a high static exercise.
Until personal physical exercise proteins become mainstream, here are some considerations for deciding which sport is right for you. First, choose a sport that you like to do. If you like the exercise, you are more likely to do it, especially on those days when you don’t feel like exercising. Second, minimize the risks. For example, if you like to play tennis, split your time between outdoor and indoor matches to lower the sun exposure and lower the risk for skin cancer. If you like to cycle, don’t ride exclusively. Balance it with an activity that will help with weight bearing and bone strength such as weightlifting. Lastly, participating in any of these sports is better than sitting on the couch and watching the Olympics on television. At a bare minimum, get on your treadmill or stationary bike and then cheer on your favorite athletes.
