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researchers compared life expectancy among 15,174 Olympic athletes who won medals between 1896 and 2010 with general population groups matched by country, sex, and age

All medallists lived an average of 2.8 years longer

in eight out of the nine country groups studied.

Gold, silver and bronze medallists enjoyed roughly the same survival advantage, as did medallists in both endurance and mixed sports

Medallists in power sports had a smaller, but still significant, advantage over the general population.

study was not designed to determine why Olympic athletes live longer

possible explanations include genetic factors, physical activity, healthy lifestyle, and the wealth and status that come from international sporting glory

In the second study, researchers measured the effect of high intensity exercise on mortality later in life among former Olympic athletes

They tracked 9,889 athletes

who took part in at least one Olympic Games between 1896 and 1936

represented 43 disciplines requiring different levels of exercise intensity and physical contact

researchers did find an 11% increased risk of mortality among athletes from disciplines with a high risk of body collision and with high levels of physical contact, such as boxing, rugby and ice hockey, compared with other athletes

two public health experts point out that people who do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity also have a survival advantage compared with the inactive general population

, they found that athletes from sports with high cardiovascular intensity (such as cycling and rowing) or moderate cardiovascular intensity (such as gymnastics and tennis) had similar mortality rates compared with athletes from low cardiovascular intensity sports, such as golf or cricket

featured in its November issue, which will include unprecedented high-speed pictures

June 20 sprint is the fastest timed 100 meters ever run by anything on the planet

five cheetahs each completed several sprints a day

bolting out of the back of one of the zoo's vans and chasing fluffy toy dogs as they were pulled across a meadow on a high-speed cord.

used to long sprints, regularly running for zoo crowds

not only good for the individual cats, who get much-needed exercise, but good for the species as well:

zoo's track-star cheetahs have helped raise over a million U.S. dollars for conservation

almost certain that cheetahs in the wild—lean, hungry, chasing down antelopes for their own survival or that of their cubs—have run considerably faster.