Round O' Golf "can confer longevity benefits just as robust as a 100-mile bike ride."

Thanks to all the readers who sent Kevn Hellinker's WSJ story about a new study that suggests a round of golf "can confer longevity benefits just as robust as a 100-mile bike ride."

Be ready to learn about micro traumata.

The study in the Christmas edition of BMJ—the peer-reviewed publication formerly known as the British Medical Journal—is based on the mortality records of 9,889 athletes who competed in the Olympic Games between 1896 and 1936. "Engaging in cycling and rowing (high cardiovascular intensity) had no added survival benefit compared with playing golf or cricket (low cardiovascular intensity)."

The study adds to a small but growing body of research suggesting that years-long doses of extreme exercise—measured by amount or intensity—may be unproductive, if not counterproductive. In general, the research suggests that the well-established longevity benefits of exercise may cease to accrue or may even diminish beyond a point, for instance, 20 miles a week of running.