Engagement in different sport disciplines during university years and risk of locomotive syndrome in older age: J-Fit+ Study

Abstract

Background Among former Olympic-level athletes, engagement in different sport disciplines has been associated with mortality risk in subsequent years. However, limited evidence is available on whether engagement in different sport disciplines at a young age is associated with locomotive syndrome (LS) risk later in life. This study examined the relationship between engagement in different sport disciplines during university years and LS risk in older age among former university athletes. Methods Participants were 274 middle-aged and 294 older men alumni who graduated from a school of physical education in Japan. LS risk was defined as answering “yes” to any of the Loco-check questions. Data on university sports club membership were collected using questionnaires. University clubs were classified into three groups of cardiovascular intensity (low, moderate, high), following the classification system of sport disciplines by the American College of Cardiology. This classification considers the static and dynamic components of an activity, which correspond to the estimated percent of maximal voluntary contraction reached and maximal oxygen uptake achieved, respectively. University clubs were grouped based on the risk of bodily collision (no, yes) and extent of physical contact (low, moderate, high). Relationships between engagement in different sport disciplines and LS risk were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, and adjusted for age, height, weight, joint disease, habitual exercise, and smoking and drinking status. Results Adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals associated with the low, moderate, and high cardiovascular intensity sports were 1.00 (reference), 0.48 (0.22–1.06, P = 0.070), and 0.44 (0.20–0.97, P = 0.042) in older men, respectively; however, there was no significant association between these parameters among middle-aged men. Engagement in sports associated with physical contact and collision did not affect LS risk in either group. Conclusions Engagement in sports associated with high cardiovascular intensity during university years may reduce the risk of LS in later life. Encouraging young people to participate in such activities might help reduce LS prevalence among older populations.

Associations of Voluntary Exercise and Screen Time during the First Wave of COVID-19 Restrictions in Japan with Subsequent Grip Strength among University Students: J-Fit+ Study

“…In 2016, we newly named this study "J-Fit + Study" (https://www.juntendo.ac.jp/jfit/en/, accessed on 3 December 2021) and conducted an alumni health survey in 2017 and 2018. The results of the historical cohort study are already published in some scientific journals [30][31][32][33][34].…”

Main health impairment in the middle-aged former athletes

“…Примечательно, что в недавнем исследовании авто ров из Японии показана несомненная польза от интен сивных занятий спортом во время обучения в универ ситете с точки зрения профилактики заболеваний ОДА в более позднем возрасте [9].…”

Observation of children's age to predict maximum height

“…Children who practice sports are not required to have a proportional height (Mackala et al, 2020). On the other hand, some sports require height, such as volleyball and basketball (S. Shen et al, 2021). In addition, height is one of the components recommended for growth in elementary school to high school (Junior et al, 2019).…”