Mortality of French Participants in the Tour de France (19472012) - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mortality of French Participants in the Tour de France (1947–2012)

X Jouven,M Tafflet,E Marijon,J Antero-Jacquemin,N El Helou,G Berthelot, N Combes, W Bougouin, G Rey, D Celermajer, JF Toussaint

Disclosure

triathlon

Known benefit of moderate exercise vs. danger of overexercise, doping, accident…

The effort involved has been compared to "running a marathon several days a week for nearly three weeks", while the total elevation of the climbs was compared to "climbing three Everests”.

Coyle D. What He’s Been Pedaling. The New York Times, 2006 Jul 16

Background

• The Tour de France has

been the subject of many controversies because of exposure to performance enhancing techniques, in the past and still recently, described as potentially promoting an increase in mortality

786 participants

• 786 first participations in the race (30% of the total

participants) – mean of 2.5 participations/cyclist

Total number

• f participants

% of French participants Number of new French participants

Results

• 208 deaths by Sept. 2012
• 41% lower mortality compared to the general

population of same age with a SMR of 0.59, 95% CI, 0.51–0.68, P<0.0001

• Considering the 1947–1951 (>60% of deaths),

we may estimate an additional longevity about 6 years

Results

• Consistency by age, period, and cause of death

Results

• Consistency by

causes of death, exept external (traumatic) causes

Conclusions

• Substantially and significantly lower mortality

in French participants in the Tour de France, compared to the general male population

• Our results do not allow a detailed assessment
• f the balance between positive effects of

high level sports activity and selection of healthy elite athletes, versus any potential deleterious effects of excessive physical exercise or alleged doping