• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

Which Masters Sport Performance Gets Worse with Age?

You are here: Home / Coaching / Which Masters Sport Performance Gets Worse with Age?
8
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

January 11, 2011 by Jimson Lee 1 Comment

Last Updated on March 24, 2013 by Jimson Lee

A recent study from the Experimental Aging Research asked the question: Of the 6 sports, which had the greatest decline in performance with age?

  1. Athletics (Track and Field)
  2. Swimming
  3. Rowing
  4. Cycling
  5. Triathlon
  6. Weightlifting

I’ve heard several people claim endurance events are easier to maintain while it’s a known fact that sprinters lose speed over the years.

Decathletes like Kip Janvrin (who holds the icosathlon world record) who was still competitive at 40 years old said that the high jump was his worse event.  Somehow with age, there was no more ”pop” in his legs!

And I know many men over 50 go for their testosterone shots every three weeks.  Luckily, they don’t compete and don’t have drug testing.

But the last line of the study says it all:

There may be real physiological differences for these strength events, or there may be other explanations such as training or competitive considerations or smaller numbers participating.

The full study was Aging performance for masters records in Athletics, Swimming, Rowing, Cycling, Triathlon, and Weightlifting (Baker AB, Tang YQ) Department of Anaesthesia, University of Sydney at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia (Exp Aging Res. 2010 Oct;36(4):453-77)

Here is the abstract, and I put the emphasis (and answers) in bold:

Abstract

Record performances for Masters sporting events for swimming, cycling, triathlon, rowing, and weightlifting were analyzed and then compared with the authors’ previously published results for Masters running, walking, and jumping sports events. Records were normalized using the 30s age records as a baseline, and studied through the various age ranges to the 90s. A curvilinear mathematical model [y = 1 – exp((T – T(0))/?)] was again used for the major comparisons, along with slope changes using a linear model [y = ?(T -T’0)] across the age groupings.

All sports declined with increasing age, with rowing showing the least deterioration.

Performances in running, swimming, and walking were reasonably well maintained, followed by greater decline with age for cycling, triathlon, and jumping events.

Weightlifting showed the fastest and greatest decline with increasing age. The relative performances for women, when compared with men’s performances for these Masters events, was approximately 80% to 85%, with jumping at 73% and weightlifting at 52%. These relative performances compared with World Record comparisons of approximately 90% (with weightlifting at approximately 75%).

All these results show no greater decline with age for endurance events over the sprint events, though there was a greater decline for the strength events of weightlifting and jumping.

There may be real physiological differences for these strength events, or there may be other explanations such as training or competitive considerations or smaller numbers participating.

And for me?

See also  How High can Harry Aikines-Aryeetey Vertical Jump?

I think it’s time to get out my old Concept II Rowing machine and go after the 500m and 2000m events.  Then again, it’s gonna hurt like hell.  My PR for 2000 meters was around 6:40 but the winning medalist times at the World Police and Fire Games were all in 6:20!  The open World Record is under 6 minutes!

Category iconCoaching,  Commentary,  High Jump,  Marathons,  Masters,  Swimming,  Track & Field,  Weight Training Tag icontestosterone

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • Oregon22 Coaches Club now Online
  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}