Scientists from the University of Edinburgh discovered that one in four retired Olympic champions suffers from osteoarthritis. Research published British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Researchers interviewed 3,357 former Olympians, aged around 45, about their injuries and the health of their bones, joints, muscles and spine. They were also asked if they were currently experiencing joint pain and whether they had doctor-diagnosed osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that causes changes in the joints and can lead to discomfort, pain and disability.
Athletes took part in 57 sports, including track and field, rowing and skiing. The control group included 1735 ordinary people, about 41 years old, who filled out the same questionnaires.
Researchers examined factors that may affect the risk of developing pain and osteoarthritis, including injury, age, gender, and obesity. The study found that a joint injury was more likely to cause osteoarthritis in Olympians than ordinary people who had suffered a similar injury. The knee, lumbar spine, and shoulder were the most prone to injury, pain, and osteoarthritis at the Olympics.
The researchers hope the findings will help develop new approaches to preventing injury and osteoarthritis in athletes.