title: Are former elite athletes more protected against metabolic syndrome?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Scientific literature offers no epidemiological data regarding prevalence and protective factors for the metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) among former athletes. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether former athletes are better protected against MetSyn and if this hypothetical protection is dependent on sex, career, or later lifestyle.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed demographic, behavioral, physical, and biochemical characteristics in a population of 491 subjects of both sexes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for potential confounding factors, we found no significant differences in the likelihood of MetSyn among former elite, non-elite, and non-athletes. Likewise, sex and previous sport intensity did not reveal a significant association with the syndrome. However, both former elite [odds ratio (OR) 0.20, p=0.020] and non-elite athletes (OR 0.50, p=0.044) who after career termination engaged in the recommended amounts of physical activity, showed a reduced likelihood for the MetSyn.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Former athletes tend to adopt healthier lifestyles, which may give them an advantage regarding the risk factors that delineate the syndrome. Furthermore, physical activity engagement at recommended levels seems to play an important role in the association with MetSyn, even in subjects who have never been athletes.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. cristianohxbatista@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Soares
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors