Student-athletes playing an NCAA Division I sport are more likely to experience health concerns later in life, according to a new study.

Study lead author Janet Simon, of Indiana University's School of Public Health-Bloomington, said in a press release she found that former college athletes also have trouble remaining active as middle-aged adults. This also raises their risk of injury should they pursue an athletic career.

"Division I athletes may sacrifice their future health-related quality of life for their brief athletic career in college," Simon, a doctoral candidate in Kinesiology, said in the release. "Also, when comparing former Division I athletes, non-athletes who were physically active in college and the general U.S. population, it appears that, in rank order of the three groups, non-athletes who were recreationally active in college had better health-related quality of life scores, followed by the general U.S. population.

"This may be because former Division I athletes sustain more injuries and possibly more severe injuries due to the rigor of their sport."

Simon said previous research has already proven that non-athletes have comparatively had a much higher quality of life than those who played a sport in college. However, she also found that former college athletes in Division I sports also had higher rates of depression, fatigue and sleeping issues.

For her study, published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, she analyzed questionnaires from 232 former NCAA Division I athletes, both male and female as well as 225 non-athletes. All participants were between the ages of 40 and 65.

"Many of the Division I sports are not lifelong sports, so it is important for the athletes to find sports and activities that can keep them active as they age," Simon said. "The most important thing is to stay active. You may have been a former athlete, but unless you stay active your whole life, you may be decreasing your quality of life."

From the press release, Simon's findings are as follows:

  • "Former Division I athletes were more than twice as likely as non-athletes to report physical activity limitations to daily activities and exercise.
  • "67 percent of the athletes reported sustaining a major injury and 50 percent reported chronic injuries, compared to 28 percent and 26 percent respectively for non-athletes.
  • "70 percent of athletes reported practicing or performing with an injury, compared to 33 percent on non-athletes.
  • "40 percent of athletes reported being diagnosed with osteoarthritis after college compared to 24 percent of the non-athletes. Osteoarthritis has been linked to previous joint injuries."

NCAA Division I sports programs, especially in major conferences, offer their student-athletes access to trainers, conditioning experts and nutritionists, as well as top-tier exercise and workout equipment. Simon said when these are no longer available the athletes do not always maintain their physical condition.