What Do We Know About the Value of Sport for Older Adults? A Scoping Review

Abstract

Issues relating to older adults in sport are ongoing topics of interest among sport scientists; however, our knowledge on how older athletes have been studied is incomplete, which has implications for understanding the comprehensiveness of this evidence base. This scoping review aimed to provide an overview of how sport and older adults have been studied since the first World Masters Games. Data on research topics, research methods, sport-specific information, and demographic information on older athletes were collected and reviewed. Results suggest older athletes who are White, male, and competitive athletes have largely been the focus of research. In addition, results highlight an alarming number of unreported data related to the demographics of athlete samples. As a result, the well-documented benefits of sport may reflect a homogenous group of older adults, limiting our overall understanding of aging and sport and the value of this research for developing evidence-informed policy.

Lifespan models of athlete development: What have we learned from previous attempts?

“…Accompanying this shift has been an increase in funding from national sporting bodies to cultivate athletic "talent" (1) as well as increased research attention (2), showcasing the importance of understanding the costs and benefits of this shift. For example, several recent reviews have been completed on issues related to athlete development, ranging from early specialization [see (3)] and youth athletic development models [see (4)] to sport for older adults (5). In many sports, in many countries, participation can occur across the lifespan.…”