Masters or pawns? Examining injury and chronic disease in male Masters Athletes and chess players compared to population norms from the Canadian Community Health Survey.

Background: Identifying the optimal type and amount of activity for the maintenance of function in older adults has proved challenging. On the one hand, Masters Athletes have been proposed as the ideal model of successful aging but most of this research has focused on physical functioning. On the other hand, the importance of cognitive engagement has been emphasized, which may be more strongly related to activities such as playing chess.