[Somnius]

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There are mounds of evidence suggesting that even relatively mild stress can damage the brain’s frontal lobes and impair learning and memory.
It’s well known that brain function (especially the ability to learn new skills) declines with age, starting at about age nineteen. I’m speculating that poker accelerates this process, but we should expect strong life cycle tendencies even if this is not the case.

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Although the neurophysiological hormonal fluctuations of the poker player may be more dramatic, or more prevalent then the average professional, is it not worth noting that poker also comes with a great decrease in stressors very prevalent in the traditional acceleration of career x or in academia?

It's almost as if a poker player's neurobiological life cycle may be condensed on one hand, but lengthened on another.

Stressors such as waking up at a certain time (early), working under a boss, meeting deadlines, forced geographical constants, regimented time dispersion through the day with pronounced lack of control...all these stressors are virtually eliminated from the poker player's life cycle.

Of course, the potential for general gambling/"free-living" negative tendencies such as addiction, drug and alcohol abuse, extremely unregimented living etc are all very likely. Nevertheless, acknowledging all factors in the equation, can it really be simply said that the life of a poker pro will bring about the expected neurodegeneration and/or life cycle deconstruction any faster then the multitude of other careers and paths that are both cause and effect to highly motivated, highly achieving, more stressed-living individuals?

Although more of a rhetorical question, it is a worthwhile consideration in your notion that top players of the future need begin their path of mastery around the same time the frontal lobes start earning their place at the front of the line. If the lack of stressors readily available in the traditional career make up for the inclusion of potential stressors that follow a poker pro around, then perhaps it doesn't need to be so different.

As you mentioned, proper bankroll management is of course a key consideration. Lack of addiction also an important factor in halting the stress-induced frontal lobe degradation.

All careers have their stressors, all high-level achieving is not without dire cost to our health. Poker allows for even more life control and thus potentially less stress responses then most other professional endeavours. Of course, we're not robots, it's not as simple as it is on paper, and generally, most will allow the potential negatives of a "free-life", a life of "gambling" to become very much a reality and potentially confirm your speculation.

The top poker players of the future will see it very much as a business like any other, and be disciplined enough to approach it as the "robot" described above.