Aging and Physiological Lessons from Master Athletes

Abstract

Sedentary aging is often characterized by physical dysfunction and chronic degenerative diseases. In contrast, masters athletes demonstrate markedly greater physiological function and more favorable levels of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, frailty, and cognitive dysfunction than their sedentary counterparts. In many cases, age-related deteriorations of physiological functions as well as elevations in risk factors that are typically observed in sedentary adults are substantially attenuated or even absent in masters athletes. Older masters athletes possess greater functional capacity at any given age than their sedentary peers. Impressive profiles of older athletes provide insight into what is possible in human aging and place aging back into the domain of "physiology" rather than under the jurisdiction of "clinical medicine." In addition, these exceptional aging athletes can serve as a role model for the promotion of physical activity at all ages. The study of masters athletes has provided useful insight into the positive example of successful aging. To further establish and propagate masters athletics as a role model for our aging society, future research and action are needed.

Participation and Performance in the Oldest Ultramarathon–Comrades Marathon 1921–2019

“…Moreover, the products of sports technology (e. g. heart rate monitors, GPS units, running power meters) have been widely used to monitor training and performance [27,28]. It should be also highlighted that sports longevity was associated with health care and access to health services currently available [16][17][18]. Furthermore, a new generation of running shoes reduced the metabolic cost of running [29] and improved running economy [30,31], which might also improve performance in ultra-marathon runners.…”

“…Such information about elite and age group runners competing in the world's oldest ultramarathon would be of both theoretical and practical interest for scientists and practitioners, especially in the context of consideration of master athletes as an example of successful aging [16][17][18][19]. The analysis of an ultramarathon held during ~100 years might lead to different results regarding participation and performance in both elite and age group runners compared to a race held for ~60 years such as '100 km Lauf Biel'.…”

Performance Declines Are Accelerated in the Oldest-Old Track and Field Athletes 80 to 94 Years of Age

“…O ther than many of their sedentary peers or patients with orthopedic constraints, master athletes continue to exercise until high age. [1][2][3][4] The age of peak performance usually occurs between 18 and 23 years, and performance starts to decline progressively after staying relatively constant in the third decade of life. 1 Maintaining high levels of physical exercise throughout the life seems to slow the multisystemic deterioration commonly observed in inactive individuals.…”

Editorial: The Elderly Athlete

“…Because elderly athletes (masters athletes) maintain high levels of physical activity, they may serve as an example of an optimal healthy human aging. Indeed, the master athlete has been proposed as an ideal model to determine successful aging due to his or her chronic participation in high-intensity exercise (Lazarus and Harridge, 2017;Tanaka et al, 2019).…”