Staying a Step Ahead of Aging
The New York Times, January 31st, 2008
YOU know what is supposed to happen when you grow old. You will slow
down, you will grow weak, your steps will become short and mincing, and
you will lose your sense of balance. That’s what aging researchers
consistently find, and it’s no surprise to most of us.
But it is worth remembering that the people in those studies were
sedentary, said Dr. Vonda Wright, a professor of orthopedics at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr.
Wright, a 40-year-old runner, decided to study people who kept training
as they got older or began competing in middle age. She wanted to know
what happens to them and at what age does performance start to decline.
Their
results are surprising, even to many of the researchers themselves. The
investigators find that while you will slow down as you age, you may be
able to stave off more of the deterioration than you thought.
Researchers also report that people can start later in life — one man
took up running at 62 and ran his first marathon, a year later, in 3
hours 25 minutes.
It’s a testament to how adaptable the human
body is, researchers said, that people can start serious training at an
older age and become highly competitive. It also is testament to their
findings that some physiological factors needed for a good performance
are not much affected by age.
Researchers say that you should be
able to maintain your muscles as you age, including the muscle enzymes
needed for good athletic performance, and you should be able to
maintain your ability to exercise for long periods near your so-called
lactic threshold, meaning you are near maximum effort.
But you have to know how to train, doing the right sort of exercise, and you must keep it up.
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