Training Principles for Elite Senior Athletes

Abstract

Despite the passage of time, masters athletes are still capable of incredible performances. Nevertheless, overuse injuries are the most common challenge in this escalating cohort. The incidence of exertion-related cardiovascular events is also greater among older athletes, especially men, highlighting the importance of a thorough preparticipation medical evaluation before entry into senior athletic training programs and competition. Accordingly, masters athletes with a moderate to high risk for coronary artery disease, who desire to enter vigorous competitive events, should undergo peak or symptom-limited exercise testing. Training programs for senior athletes should be individually tailored and focus on the predominant energy pathways and performance requirements for a given sport. Although competition and "personal bests" are important, protection against sickness and disability are increasingly listed as the primary participative motives of older athletes.

YouTube as a Source of Information About Physical Exercise During COVID-19 Outbreak

“…It should be highlighted that the exercises presented in social media such as YouTube should not be considered as physical training programs. The keyword in exercise prescription is the "individualization", i.e., a training program is adapted to the specific characteristics of an individual (e.g., sex, age, health status, and physical fitness level) (47)(48)(49). There are many training principles that should be implemented in exercise prescription including the "progression load" (50, 51) making the YouTube characterization of exercise as beginner or advanced seeming oversimplified.…”

Teaming up for Senior Fitness

“…In preparation for competition in the Seniors' Games, many of the athletes began training several months before the competition and arrived with high levels of motivation and enthusiasm and eager to compete (Clark, Ebran, Graham, & Thornton, 2003). The summer Senior Olympic Games held in Virginia in 2003 had over 27,000 qualifi ers (Franklin, Fern, & Voytas, 2004), and similar displays of interest are present in state Senior Olympic competitions and in the Huntsman World Senior Games. This suggests that a lack of interest in competition is not the biggest barrier in physical activity for the senior population.…”

“…Furthermore, 26 percent of those men and 45 percent of those women had not participated in high school or collegiate athletics. A 101-year-old Senior Olympian became the oldest United States track and fi eld competitor in the 60-yard dash and shot put in March, 2003(Franklin et al, 2004. He began competing in track and fi eld at the age of 80, after dropping out of the sport for almost 50 years.…”