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Aging among elite distance runners: a 22-yr longitudinal study
S W Trappe1, D L Costill, M D Vukovich
1Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, USA.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Elite runners experience significant declines in physiological capacity over two decades, with aerobic capacity decreasing 5-7% per decade regardless of continued training. Maintaining fitness training helps mitigate these age-related changes.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Sports Science
- Aging Research
Background:
- Longitudinal studies on aging athletes are crucial for understanding physiological changes over time.
- Elite distance runners from the late 1960s/early 1970s provide a unique cohort for assessing long-term training effects.
- Understanding the impact of aging on aerobic capacity is vital for public health and athletic performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term physiological responses of former elite distance runners to submaximal and maximal exercise.
- To determine the influence of varying training levels on physiological capacity after a 22-year period.
- To compare current physiological status with baseline data from elite athletic careers.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study tracking 53 male elite distance runners over approximately 22 years.
- Categorization of participants into highly trained, fitness trained, untrained, and fit older groups based on current activity levels.
- Measurement of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), submaximal exercise oxygen requirements, ventilation, and heart rate at two time points (T1 and T2).
Main Results:
- All groups showed a significant decrease in VO2 max, with the smallest decline (6% per decade) in the highly trained group.
- Fitness trained, untrained, and fit older groups experienced greater VO2 max reductions (10-15% per decade).
- Submaximal running at 12 km/hr required increased oxygen uptake, ventilation, and heart rate in the untrained group, with greater perceived effort across all groups.
Conclusions:
- Physiological capacities of aging runners are compromised over two decades, irrespective of continued training.
- The rate of decline in aerobic capacity is strongly related to the level of training maintained.
- Longitudinal data confirm that aerobic capacity in highly trained middle-aged men declines by approximately 5-7% per decade.