Golf and Physical Health: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background No previous systematic review has examined the physical health benefits of playing golf or caddying. Objective To establish the influence of golf participation and physical health in golfers and caddies. More specifically, the review intended to explore the domains of cardiovascular, metabolic and musculoskeletal health, in addition to body composition. Design Systematic review. Data Sources Electronic literature searches were conducted using PubMed, SPORTDiscus and CINAHL databases in July 2021. Eligibility Criteria Experimental (randomised controlled trials, quasi-experiment, pre-post) and non-experimental (case–control, cross-sectional, cohort) articles relating to health and golf, written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals. Results Of the 572 articles initially identified, 109 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility with 23 meeting the inclusion criteria. Sixteen articles were rated ‘good 'and seven ‘fair’. The influence of golf on physical health was mixed, although various articles displayed improvements in balance, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol within golfers. Caddies observed improvements in bone mineral density (BMD), stiffness index and strength. Most of the findings indicate that playing golf or caddying does not influence body mass index (BMI); however, playing golf can positively change other body composition markers such as lean and fat mass. Conclusion This review demonstrated that golf participation may be an effective method for improving musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health, although mixed findings were observed. Moreover, limited longitudinal evidence suggests that playing golf can positively impact metabolic health and the influence on body composition may be parameter dependent. Additionally, the initial evidence suggests that caddying may improve musculoskeletal health. However, the studies included were limited by their methodological inconsistencies such as: study design, participant demographics and intervention prescription. PROSPERO Registration CRD42021267664.

The Psychology of Golf Performance under Pressure

“…Elite sport can exist on a continuum from semi-elite (e.g., highperformance youth sport) to world-class elite (e.g., international competitions) (Swann et al, 2015). Although aspects of physical health and physical injuries amongst athletes have received the greatest share of research attention, especially amongst golfers (see: Cabri et al, 2009;Robinson et al, 2019;Sorbie et al, 2022), recently, mental and social health have begun to be explored thoroughly for elite athletes .…”

Improved Physical Health in Middle-Older Aged Golf Caddies Following 24 Weeks of High-Volume Physical Activity

“…A recent systematic review highlighted that golf may be an effective method for improving aspects of physical health, across body composition, and metabolic, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health domains. 9 However, the review highlighted a limited number of studies (N=2) related to caddies, whereas most studies (N=21) investigated golfers. 9 Therefore, it is possible that caddying may also facilitate reductions in risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, metabolic, and musculoskeletal health, which warrants further study.…”

“…9 However, the review highlighted a limited number of studies (N=2) related to caddies, whereas most studies (N=21) investigated golfers. 9 Therefore, it is possible that caddying may also facilitate reductions in risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, metabolic, and musculoskeletal health, which warrants further study.…”

Influencia de la práctica del golf sobre la condición física y los factores predisponentes a caídas en mayores de 65 años

“…134,88 En revisiones sistemáticas recientes se han recopilado artículos sobre sus beneficios en las terapias de rehabilitación tras infarto, ictus y después de la implantación de prótesis articulares de cadera, rodilla y hombro, con efectos positivos sobre el bienestar general, físico y mental no solo para los jugadores sino para los caddie y los espectadores también. 69,62,135 Para un mejor desempeño técnico también fueron tratados temas sobre efectos de un entrenamiento específico 90,136,137 hasta los observados en el tratamiento de sujetos con Parkinson. 84 No faltan artículos sobre los aspectos más técnicos, 73,74 relacionados con el swing, para examinar el desplazamiento del centro de masa (con sensores portátiles 138 ), evaluar diferentes posturas, ritmos de ejecución, 72,76,77,80 y control de las extremidades inferiores 71,75,77,78,81, sea en personas mayores que con sujetos más jóvenes.…”