Training: Older vs Younger (#207)

Age-appropriate training is a crucial area, and we've received many inquiries about it. It's something we're now planning to explore more, perhaps because we're getting older ourselves 😀 (what is the definition of "older"?). Let's delve into the research to see what it reveals.

In 2007, a review was published, offering advice on training modifications recommended for athletes as they age and various physiological changes occur in our bodies. It's important to note that these recommendations are at the population level and should be seen as rough guidelines. They are not specific for different smaller groups, for example, how someone aged 30–35 should train compared to someone 50–55, etc. However, we'll add some thoughts and suggestions at the end in this area.

In summary, water is sufficient for most training sessions lasting less than an hour, especially if the intensity isn't extremely high. For longer or more demanding sessions, sports drinks can effectively provide fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates, helping you maintain performance, delay fatigue, and reduce the risk of dehydration and energy deficiency. The choice of sports drink is also crucial, as different carbohydrate blends can significantly impact both energy absorption and gut comfort.

Here's some basic background info. We know that a lot happens as we age—a 60-year-old definitely doesn't look like a 30-year-old. Focusing on training, though, there are significant changes in how our bodies adapt to it.

Researchers have identified some key differences from statistical data:

1. Older individuals often accumulate more minor injuries over years of training and life, impacting later training (osteoarthritis, wear and tear, sprains, etc.).
2. Injury history—older individuals have had more years to get injured.
3. There are lower levels of anabolic hormones affecting training response.
4. Longer recovery time leads to reduced training volume.
5. Statistically, older athletes are likely to have less time for training in their lives and lower motivation to train (this is true even at the elite level according to research) compared to younger athletes.

Researchers have tracked athletes from their 20s into "old age" to observe the changes. Many athlete groups have been followed continuously with regular testing intervals over 20–40 years. All these longitudinal studies agree that changes occur around age 60, even when training volume is maintained.

From age 60 onwards, VO2max, muscle mass, body composition, and overall performance begin to decline more significantly.

VO2max is one of the strongest predictors of aerobic athletic performance, and changes in VO2max strongly correlate with performance changes, both up and down. In a longitudinal study that followed 86 males and 49 women aged 40–70, an initial test was conducted with a follow-up test an average of 8.5 years later. The results showed that VO2max declines between 1–4.6% per year for males and 0.5–2.4% per year for women, with a quicker decline as participants aged. The males who lost the most in lean body mass, i.e., muscle mass, also experienced the most significant loss in oxygen uptake; for women, the strongest correlation was with reduced training volume and reduced VO2max.

So, while we do lose oxygen uptake with age, the decline is certainly not linear and is notably less if we continue to train compared to not training. A sedentary person in their 60s (when we statistically lose oxygen uptake fastest) loses about 12% in oxygen uptake over a 10-year period, while the corresponding figure for those who train regularly is 5.5%.

Longitudinal studies over many years, tracking individuals through their life cycles, clearly show that older athletes tend to lose muscle mass and gain more fat, even when their training volume remains constant. However, there are exceptions: some individuals don't lose muscle mass as significantly, particularly those who maintain strength training alongside endurance training. This trend is observable in several studies among both men and women but is most pronounced in males. A study from 2006, which looked into how strength training impacts testosterone in both older and younger individuals, indicates that the relative increase in testosterone is similar among males regardless of age. However, the absolute level is lower in older individuals because baseline levels of free testosterone are lower. A workout with 3×10 reps at 80% of 1RM across six exercises resulted in a proportional testosterone increase, regardless of age. But those who were 20 years old had higher baseline levels than those, for example, in their 60s, so the total testosterone produced from the session was higher, resulting in a greater training response.

We all inevitably lose muscle mass, primarily in our type 2 muscle fibers, the explosive/anaerobic ones. This can be seen since older individuals don't fall too far behind younger ones in longer distances where type 1 fibers are more important. However, they stand no chance, for example, in sprints and middle-distance running.

The graph above illustrates world record times in the 10 km, 1500 m rowing, and powerlifting for various age groups. You'll notice that performances peak around the age of 30 and then steadily decline until age 60, where the drop becomes more pronounced.

However, the data can vary significantly depending on specific sports levels due to other influencing factors. For instance, when examining the Ironman statistics from Kalmar 2019, the results differ from the 10 km running statistics. Much of this is because longer distances often require more extensive training to develop resilience. The linked statistics illustrate that 20–24-year-olds qualify for the World Championships with a time around 9 hours and 16 minutes, whereas competitors need to be over 50 for that time to become a qualifying standard again. In this context, 20–24-year-olds perform comparably to those over 50, likely because the younger athletes haven't yet developed the necessary resilience.

In sports that demand endurance over extended periods, such as ultrarunning and full-distance triathlon, data clearly shows that the youngest aren't always the fastest—sometimes it's individuals in their 40s who achieve the absolute fastest times.

A common trend across 10 km, powerlifting, rowing, and long events like Ironman is that the most impressive times and heaviest lifts are accomplished by athletes aged 25–35, regardless of gender. This period is often regarded as our "prime time" for physical prowess and sports performance.

A major factor that determines the outcome of training for both younger and older individuals is the volume of training our bodies can handle. Assuming two comparable individuals, one aged 30 and the other 50, the 30-year-old's body will be significantly more resilient and recover better and faster, allowing for a higher training volume, intensity, and effect.

Training volume is a major predictor of athletic performance, at least up to the age of 60 — after which physiology becomes the main limiter. However, up to 60 years old, a 30-year-old and a 50-year-old have approximately the same molecular potential to enhance performance.

“The training response in older athletes may be limited simply by their inability to tolerate heavy training loads. From a molecular perspective, the reduced training load that can be tolerated by older individuals can be viewed as a limitation in the molecular signaling for adaptation.”

“From the mid 30s to about 60 years, there is a slow but progressive loss in performance ability. Beyond 60 years, an accelerated decline in performance ability has been observed, even in athletes who are able to maintain training volume and intensity.”

In summary, older athletes complete 12 tougher sessions over two months, while younger athletes manage 18, which is 50 percent more. Most of these sessions are more challenging due to increased volume and/or intensity compared to those of the older athletes.

One key tip from researchers is to periodize your training to include more rest as you age, especially when approaching 60 and beyond. It’s crucial to keep strength training part of your routine, with at least two sessions a week. Intense sessions should continue but be adjusted in duration, for example, intervals of 30–60 seconds instead of 3–6 minutes.

Yes, there's a significant difference here. Neurologically, if you're over 45 and making a comeback, you can quickly regain your technique and achieve a solid running stride, pedal stroke, or similar. The challenge is that the movement pattern that "comes alive" again is the one you used at 25, and it's not necessarily a stride your body can handle immediately upon your return. Moreover, many remember "how" to train — intervals, thresholds, etc. — and if you try to replicate your training method from when you were 25, you'll likely end up exhausted and risk injuries.

The most crucial advice is to gradually increase the load. Just because the shoes you wore at 25 still fit doesn't mean the rest of your body remembers exactly how to run in them 😉

The quick answer is yes, it's possible to increase both oxygen uptake and muscle mass. There's an interesting study where they had seven 20-year-olds and six 74-year-olds complete a 12-week cycling training program. All participants were relatively untrained but did cardio at least one day per week for a minimum of 20 minutes each session.

Both training and diet were monitored and kept similar between the groups in relation to their starting values. The older participants started at 22 ml/kg/min in oxygen uptake and the younger ones at 40 ml/kg/min. Throughout the study, they trained 3–4 times per week for 20–45 minutes per session, and the intensity was continuously increased from 60 percent of max for 20 minutes up to 80 percent of max for 45 minutes. Participants' diets and weights were controlled to ensure they remained weight-stable over these 12 weeks.

The results showed that aerobic capacity increased by 16 percent in younger participants and 13 percent in older participants. Muscle mass in the thigh muscles increased by 5 percent in younger and 6 percent in older participants. Primarily through an increase in type 1 fibers (endurance-oriented).

There are many similar studies demonstrating the same results. What does this mean in practice? Well, that a 70+ year-old and a 20-year-old can both achieve the same training response relative to their starting points. However, younger individuals experience more absolute increases in grams of muscle mass and absolute oxygen uptake. This is what actually correlates with performance, but it's still awesome to see—and perhaps dispel the myth that a 70-year-old can't build muscle. In this study, 74-year-old males became stronger in percentage terms than 20-year-olds if they started training 😉

We often hear statements like this, and there are definitely correlations between those who are active when young staying active as they age. BUT, your body won't store muscle cells, mitochondria, and a well-developed capillary network for 20 years unless needed. A fundamental rule is that our body doesn’t retain structures it doesn't use.

However, the correlation is true: those who are physically active when young often remain active throughout their lives, as training becomes part of their lifestyle. There is a chance that high training volume and capacity when younger can be beneficial later in life, but it's not scientifically proven. What's clear is that your current training is the most significant factor for your current physique. If you stop training from age 50, you'll soon have the same physiological profile (i.e., weight, metabolic values, health risks, risk of injuries, fractures, etc.) as a completely untrained 50-year-old.

The aging process continues, and the most important lesson is not to stop training, regardless of age. This impacts both living standards and mortality, which also seems to level out from age 50 onward. There's some scattered outcomes in science here, likely dependent on the participants. According to a study from 1971, even those who were elite athletes in their younger years have the same risk of dying after reaching 50 as someone who hasn't trained a day in their life.

“An initial study showed that male athletic champions had a significantly lower mortality than the general population under the age of 50 years; after 50 years of age the mortality was the same.”

Meanwhile, a newer (and larger) review suggests that elite athletes live significantly longer than the average person and other non-elite athletes.

“A more recent systemic review of 54 studies reported superior lifespan longevity outcomes for elite athletes compared to age- and sex-matched controls from the general population and to other athletes (Lemez and Baker, 2015)”

So keep the training volume high throughout your life as it seems training volume correlates strongest with being an iron grandpa or iron grandma. Do shorter sessions with strength training twice a week during the base training and preferably one session per week during other parts of the year, except during the most intense competition period when you can skip strength training altogether in favor of sport-specific training and peak performance.

There is no evidence that a high training volume early in life negatively affects the heart in later years. It seems we can't wear out our hearts, so keep it going throughout life. That is our conclusion.