Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham report that building endurance in late teens and twenties can lower the risk of premature death by 30 percent or more. This finding appears in JAMA Network Open.
Earlier findings from the CARDIA study showed that maximum cardiorespiratory endurance tends to decline over time, dropping about 4.6 percent between ages 20 and 25 and roughly 10 percent every five years after age 30.
In a newer analysis, scientists observed that each 5 percent of stamina that a person preserves in middle age is associated with an average 11 percent reduction in the likelihood of dying in the long run. The team analyzed data from the CARDIA study, including more than 5,000 men and women who were 18 to 30 years old at the outset. The project began in the mid-1980s, and participants completed in-person assessments every two to five years thereafter.
Overall, a higher level of cardiorespiratory fitness in early adulthood correlated with lower all-cause mortality risk—about 27 percent for women and 13 percent for men per additional minute of fitness.
These results emphasize the importance of cultivating cardiorespiratory endurance early in life and minimizing the decline that can begin in youth, not just maintaining fitness later on. The findings suggest that youthful endurance has a lasting impact on longevity and health trajectories, reinforcing the value of regular aerobic activity as a foundational habit.