What masters marathon runners can tell us about aging.

[Ming the Merciless]

Interesting reading on exercise and aging.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2410181/masters-marathoners-physiology-research

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The research article

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-019-01252-0

 

[ColinJ]

Encouraging news for oldies! (Signed ColinJ, aged 64... )

 

[Sea of vapours]

Encouraging news for oldies! (Signed ColinJ, aged 64... )

At least, it's encouraging news for oldies who stick rigorously to getting on their bikes very regularly

 

[ColinJ]

At least, it's encouraging news for oldies who stick rigorously to getting on their bikes very regularly

I have just made a reference to that in my Garforth ride thread!

Seriously though... It is obvious to me that consistency is what I am lacking. I do lots of hard rides from spring to autumn but then go seriously off the boil in the winter just as I had started to get fit again.

@Littgull is slightly older than me, but he can blow me away because he never really stops riding and keeps his fitness.

I used to go to Spain at this time of year after typically riding less than 100 km in the 4 months prior to that. I would then cram 1,200+ kms of fast(ish) hilly/mountainous riding into a 2 week holiday. It used to half kill me, but it kickstarted my fitness. (And made me ill! I picked up a cold every year as soon as I got home, but by the start of April, I'd be good to go.)

 

[MichaelW2]

Elderly marathon runners are a self selecting group with very special characteristics, mainly resistance to running injury.

 

[kapelmuur]

Elderly marathon runners are a self selecting group with very special characteristics, mainly resistance to running injury.

A very good point, I had to give up distance running because of persistent injury but I still see people I was running with 40 years ago pounding the tarmac.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have just made a reference to that in my Garforth ride thread!

Seriously though... It is obvious to me that consistency is what I am lacking. I do lots of hard rides from spring to autumn but then go seriously off the boil in the winter just as I had started to get fit again.

@Littgull is slightly older than me, but he can blow me away because he never really stops riding and keeps his fitness.

I used to go to Spain at this time of year after typically riding less than 100 km in the 4 months prior to that. I would then cram 1,200+ kms of fast(ish) hilly/mountainous riding into a 2 week holiday. It used to half kill me, but it kickstarted my fitness. (And made me ill! I picked up a cold every year as soon as I got home, but by the start of April, I'd be good to go.)

I have just made a reference to that in my Garforth ride thread!

Seriously though... It is obvious to me that consistency is what I am lacking. I do lots of hard rides from spring to autumn but then go seriously off the boil in the winter just as I had started to get fit again.

@Littgull is slightly older than me, but he can blow me away because he never really stops riding and keeps his fitness.

I used to go to Spain at this time of year after typically riding less than 100 km in the 4 months prior to that. I would then cram 1,200+ kms of fast(ish) hilly/mountainous riding into a 2 week holiday. It used to half kill me, but it kickstarted my fitness. (And made me ill! I picked up a cold every year as soon as I got home, but by the start of April, I'd be good to go.)

Riding through winter is what makes the rest of the year so much easier. Not just physically, but certainly mentally.

 

[ColinJ]

Riding through winter is what makes the rest of the year so much easier. Not just physically, but certainly mentally.

Agreed.

I typically get to (say) 70% of a decent fitness level by the end of October but am back down to 30% or less by the end of the winter. Then I start the process again.

I did one winter of hard turbo training starting from that 70% figure and so got to April at ~80%. That autumn I got up to ~90%. And then let it all slip away again!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Agreed.

I typically get to (say) 70% of a decent fitness level by the end of October but am back down to 30% or less by the end of the winter. Then I start the process again.

I did one winter of hard turbo training starting from that 70% figure and so got to April at ~80%. That autumn I got up to ~90%. And then let it all slip away again!

The reckoning is that it’s harder to gain fitness than maintain it.

I have seen somewhere that the enzyme activity that makes you fitter, tails off after about 5-7 days and begins to reverse. This ties in with the advice that two hard intervals sessions per week with at least 24-48 hours between them, plus easy workouts rest of the week is enough to increase fitness whilst one session a week plus some low intensity on other days is enough to maintain it.

 

[Littgull]

I have just made a reference to that in my Garforth ride thread!

Seriously though... It is obvious to me that consistency is what I am lacking. I do lots of hard rides from spring to autumn but then go seriously off the boil in the winter just as I had started to get fit again.

@Littgull is slightly older than me, but he can blow me away because he never really stops riding and keeps his fitness.

I used to go to Spain at this time of year after typically riding less than 100 km in the 4 months prior to that. I would then cram 1,200+ kms of fast(ish) hilly/mountainous riding into a 2 week holiday. It used to half kill me, but it kickstarted my fitness. (And made me ill! I picked up a cold every year as soon as I got home, but by the start of April, I'd be good to go.)

This is an interesting thread and very reassuring for we 'oldies'. I think regularity is the key to maintaining fitness. I used to really enjoy running but had to pack it in on medical advice 5 years ago as the high impact (compared to cycling) started to play havoc with my arthritic knees and hip.
In the last couple of years I have become very cautious in not overdoing long (60+ miles) very hilly rides as I don't want to accelerate the arthritic effect on my knees. With that approach and ensuring sufficient recovery days I am hoping to regularly peel off flattish imperial century rides for a few more years.

 

[ColinJ]

Elderly marathon runners are a self selecting group with very special characteristics, mainly resistance to running injury.

That must be true!

I was never a serious runner but I did like to go for runs of 5 or 6 kms a couple of times a week. Like @Littgull though, I started to get significant aches and pains in my joints and decided that I'd stick to cycling and walking. I am ok walking - it seems to be the impacts of running that cause the problems.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My understanding is that high intensity triggers cortisol release which as well as being anabolic (helps promote muscle building and repair stuff) is a stress hormone. Long term high levels of cortisol causes inflamation in the organs which is considered harmful long term. So the aim is to have easy low intensity days between the hard stuff, so your body isn't constantly swimming in Cortisol. I think this is suggested as one of the reasons that polarised training with it's distribution of intensity sees such great results, and is seen as a long term way of maintaining and improving fitness and health.

As pointed out above though consistent, frequent exercise (and recovery ) over the years seems to be the key building block on which everything else is founded.