Diabetes, Vol 35, Issue 10 1101-1105, Copyright © 1986 by American Diabetes Association
Lower prevalence of diabetes in female former college athletes compared with nonathletes
RE Frisch, G Wyshak, TE Albright, NL Albright and I Schiff
The prevalence rate of diabetes was determined for 5398 living college
alumnae (2622 former college athletes and 2776 nonathletes) from data on
medical history, athletic training, and diet. For all ages, the prevalence
rate among the former athletes was 0.57% (15/2622) and among the
nonathletes was 1.3% (37/2776). The former college athletes and the
nonathletes had similar percentages in family history of diabetes, i.e.,
12.0 and 13.5%, respectively. For cases occurring at age greater than or
equal to 20 yr (thus assessing the effects of college athletic training),
0.5% (13/2622) of the former college athletes had diabetes compared to 1.2%
(32/2776) of the nonathletes; the relative risk is 2.24 [95% confidence
limits (CL), 1.19 and 4.74, respectively]. Omitting cases of gestational
diabetes, the relative risk of diabetes in nonathletes versus athletes is
3.41 (95% CL, 1.33 and 8.70). The percentages of former athletes and
nonathletes that are insulin-using, non-insulin-using, and gestational
diabetics did not differ significantly. The athletes were leaner than the
nonathletes at all ages up to 70 yr. Of the former college athletes, 82%
had been on precollege teams, compared to 25% of the college nonathletes;
74% of the former athletes were exercising regularly, compared to 57% of
the nonathletes. We conclude that long-term athletic training is associated
with a lower risk of the development of diabetes.