I think the biggest decline that older athletes have to battle is the motivation to train seems to decline, not muscles or fat burning ability.

Everything declines. Just take a look at your face at 50 and imagine what's going on inside.

1. Testosterone drops off, unless you supplement.
2. Lean muscle mass drops. More fat, particularly around the middle. (I was a 28 waist at 30, now 32.)
3. Lung function decreases.
4. Heart's ejection fraction and volume falls.
5. Semen production falls off.
6. Hair falls out.
7. Except in your nose and ears.
8. Wolf whistle volume goes down and usually disappears.
9. Desire for $12,000 bikes and lycra shorts dips ever so slightly.
10. IQ drops.

I'm sure I missed about another hundred or so.

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

- your high A personality turns to a C-
- you think about sex every 56 hours instead of every 56 seconds
- BMs become the main topic of conversation while eating supper with friends
- uh, I forget the other things

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Not everything...I've got some awesome ear hair going on.

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"Good genes are not a requirement, just the obsession to beat ones brains out daily"...the Griz

Below is a graph I put together a number of years ago, based on a series of muscle biopsy studies I did early in my career (all of which are now Citation Classics, BTW). UT, MT, and HT stand for untrained, moderately-trained, and highly-trained, respectively, whereas CS stands for citrate synthase (a marker enzyme for mitochondrial respiratory capacity). A similar pattern exists for SDH (succinate dehydrogenase) and BOAC (beta hydroxy acyl-CoA) activities. What these data suggest is that muscle respiratory capacity (which is a key determinant of the rate of fat oxidation during exercise) declines with age regardless of training status. The precise mechanism (e.g., damage to mtDNA, lower absolute O2 flux), however, remains uncertain.



https://www.academia.edu/...ol_1990_68_1896-1901

https://www.academia.edu/...ront_1992_47_B71-B76

https://www.academia.edu/...ol_1992_72_1780-1786

https://www.academia.edu/..._J_Appl_Physiol_1993

This is more results of poor lifestyle finally taking its tool - processed food diet, lack of sleep, etc.


I agree. There are a few late bloomers running faster than people 1/2 or 1/3 their age. Once someone reaches their goals it is time to move onto something new. Perhaps why olympians thrive longer, is they have to wait 4 years to achieve their goals...

Good stuff! The best solution is to eat a clean diet and maybe less as you age? Some may worry they won't get enough of the essential nutrients. Of course those on the Twinkie Diet are going to put on a few....

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

I'm curious, how old are you?

I'm 54 and as motivated as ever, but years of training have taken a toll on my joints.

I am 56. Still do full distance tris and train almost daily. But if I stopped for any reason it would be because I am not having fun any longer and not because my body is fat and my muscles are declining.

And you don't find you get injured more and take longer to heal? I have very little body fat and I am pretty muscular for a triathlete, but I am constantly nursing injuries.

I have been very fortunate. I broke a collarbone a few years back, but other than that I have not had any injuries that I recall. I realize that could change very quickly but am thankful that at this point injuries have not been an issue.

High intensity weight training helps a lot and athletes past 40 years of age should be in the gym at least twice a week. Simply swimming, biking and running is not enough, you need to weight train as well. And don't forget about the flexibility exercises as well.

With hard work in the gym, older athletes can dramatically slow down age related muscular decline.


I would also add that older people should avoid car commuting as commuting by car, robs you of exercise time, adds stress and the result is lost muscle, increased body fat, reduced flexibility, hardened arteries and the list goes on. A lethal combination, So bicycle commute instead of driving to preserve muscle and overall health.