Abstract
Objective. This study examined age-related decrements in athletic performance during running and cycling activities. Design. The age group winning times for males aged between 18 and 70 years competing in the 1999 Argus cycle tour (103 km) and 1999 Comrades running marathon (90 km), South Africa's premier endurance cycling and running events respectively, were examined. Main outcome measures. The relationship between speed (cycling and running respectively) and age was calculated using a 4th order polynomial function. The derivative of each of these functions was determined and then the slope of the function corresponding to each age was calculated. Results. The rate of decline in running speed occurred at an earlier age (~ 32 years) during the running race compared with the cycling tour (~ 55 years). Conclusions. These findings establish a trend that there is ‘accelerated' aging during running which can perhaps be attributed to the increased weight-bearing stress on the muscles during running compared with cycling. SA Sports Medicine Vol.16(2) 2004: 8-11
Highlights
Aging is generally defined as a progressive loss of function, increasing susceptibility to age-related disease and an associated transition from independent to dependent lifestyle.[3,9] ACORRESPONDENCE: Despite these negative consequences associated with aging, many people participate in sporting activities when they are 70 years and older
The 4th order polynomial function equation describing the line of best fit for race time vs. age for the running marathon was: Y = 1173 – 67.82X + 1.919X2 – 0.02229X3 + 0.0001226X4 (R2 = 0.85, Fig. 1a), where Y = race time and X = age
Cycling is a non-weight-bearing activity, with little or no eccentric activity in contrast to that found during running, where marked eccentric activity is necessary to maintain an upright posture against gravitational forces, and where eccentric activity is part of the stretch-shortening cycle which makes up part of the normal energy transfer during weight-bearing activity.[20]
Summary
Aging is generally defined as a progressive loss of function, increasing susceptibility to age-related disease and an associated transition from independent to dependent lifestyle.[3,9] ACORRESPONDENCE: Despite these negative consequences associated with aging, many people participate in sporting activities when they are 70 years and older. Exercise has been shown in some studies to reduce age-related declines in strength, aerobic capacity, flexibility and physical function.[14] while exercise can reduce the rate of decline in age-related exercise capacity, it cannot reduce the absolute effect of aging on the reduction in functional capacity.[21] An examination of the changes in athletic performances associated with aging, and age-group records for athletic activity, provides an assessment of the effect of age on physical performance This analysis of athletic performance and age was first performed by Bottiger[1,2] and has been repeated more recently by Noakes[21] and Spirduso.[23] Spirduso[23] found that running performance of elite and recreational runners deteriorated from the mid-thirties, and decreased by approximately 1% per year from this point. By the age of 80 years, running performance was approximately 50% of the best performances achieved in the late 20s and early 30s
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