Scientists have found out the age at which a person's physical performance begins to decline
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- Scientists have found out the age at which a person's physical performance begins to decline
Swedish researchers have found that aerobic endurance, muscle strength and physical performance in general begin to deteriorate from about the age of 35. At the same time, scientists have recorded an encouraging result: physical activity at any age improves performance. This was reported on May 15 in the journal Science Daily.
The loss of muscle mass and strength with age is a phenomenon known in medicine as sarcopenia. According to the World Health Organization, it affects from ten to 40% of people over the age of 60 and is one of the key risk factors for disability.
The study was conducted at the Karolinska Institute as part of the Swedish Project on Physical Activity and Fitness (SPAF). Scientists observed several hundred randomly selected men and women — from 16 to 63 years old — for 47 years. Unlike most previous studies, which compared different age groups, the authors of SPAF repeatedly examined the same participants. This allowed us to create a much more accurate picture of how the body changes throughout adulthood.
"It's never too late to start moving. Our study shows that physical activity can slow down the decline in performance, even if it is impossible to stop it completely. Now we will look for mechanisms explaining why the peak of physical fitness occurs at the age of 35 and why activity slows down, but does not stop its loss," said Maria Westerstall, lecturer at the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Karolinska Institute.
The results showed that starting from the age of 35, physical abilities gradually decrease, regardless of the previous level of activity. The decline encompasses several parameters at once — aerobic endurance, strength, and muscular endurance—and becomes more pronounced with age. At the same time, among the participants who began to actively engage in physical education in adulthood, physical performance increased by five to ten percent.
The researchers will continue to follow up: next year, the same participants will be examined at the age of 68. Scientists hope to find out how lifestyle, general health, and biological processes affect the dynamics of physical performance throughout life.
Medical Xpress magazine reported on April 21 that a sedentary lifestyle is recognized as the fourth most important risk factor for death worldwide. Increasing the mobility of the population by only 10% will prevent up to 500 million premature deaths. Lack of physical activity provokes unique physiological changes that cannot be fully compensated by short workouts.
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