Old age and performance...

[david_webb]

Ladies and gents,

Your comments please:

http://kombatclinic.com/2010/01/old-...d-performance/

All the best,

[LouieJ]

Good article, I was surprised to see that your fitness peak is 32-34, I was always under the impression your at your best mid 20's. Theres hope yet :-).

[faithsdaddy]

It depends what sport. Cardio maxes out a bit earlier and muscle strength a bit later. The more your discipline depends on speed, the younger you'll be when you peak. Swimmers careers are usually finished by their mid 20s.

There's much evidence to suggest that most of the so called age related decline is due to the cumulative effects of unhealthy living. So, if we all ate 80/10/10, then there would be little fitness difference between a 20 year old and a 40+ year old.

As for the article, I thought it was ok. 3 1/2 out of 5.

[david_webb]

faithsdaddy: it's not really an article my friend, more of an open discussion into age, performance, participation and the link between all three based on what I'd read in a newspaper concerning other sports and the guys and girls still competing in Judo and BJJ that, shall we say, are older than the norm.

If it were meant as any sort of a proposed article I'd have added details of research to substantiate any claims that I would have endorsed and or hypothesised - thanks for the 3 1/2 out of 5 anyway /

Whilst I agree with you on the idea about "swimmers careers being over by mid 20's" and I'd add gymnasts, sprinters and events involving plyometrics to that as well, I am not 100% with the idea that "cardio maxes out a bit earlier and strength a bit later". Whether we are talking sedentary hobbyists or trained athletes.

I have an article I am going to post soon that questions the above quote on strength vs. aerobic capacity and age - putting the final touches to it.

Thanks again,

[shakus maximus]

i am 39 this year. the average age of my squad is about 23
i can def feel the difference compared with 6/7 years ago
i still hang with them in sparring no probs. no gi and bjj i am more dominant than any of them as i can control the fight at my pace and i have much more experience.

mma is different tho as the fact that the young b@$tards are training about 8 times a week means their cardio and conditioning are top notch so the thought of 3 x 5 min rounds of hard sparring at their pace is a different matter.

if i could step away from my role as a coach and put in 8 weeks of training for a fight i would have no probs fighting in a pro mma bout against a much younger opponent but the fact remains the fighters at my gym are my responsibility so i cant afford to make that sacrifice any more

we are all individuals and nobody can be generalised
any contact sport will surely become more demanding as you get older as wear and tear, injuries and recovery will become more prominent in our training

just my thoughts

[6million$man]

There's much evidence to suggest that most of the so called age related decline is due to the cumulative effects of unhealthy living. So, if we all ate 80/10/10, then there would be little fitness difference between a 20 year old and a 40+ year old.

Not sure of the details of the 80/10/10, can you explain? Also, I'm not sure about most of age related decline being due to unhealthy living. Can you point me in the direction of the evidence you mention?

Cheers

[LukeH]

It's a good article, but surprised you did not use Randy Couture as an example.

[simonmobiledisco]

End of the day you past your peak which varies from sport to sport. Probably a good indicator would be the olympics and see the average age of the podium over the years.

However good genetics, nutrition and regular upkeep you can keep you active into later years.

Experience can offset the physical decline, but its a battle that gets harder every year. Even the most reliable engine needs parts replacing eventually and with the human body you can improve your muscular strength and vo2 capacity, but it's futile to coninual improve your joints and connective tissue etc

I'd disagree about the opinion that it's a cumalative effect of bad living. If you look at the profesional sporting world there so many of these people who live like saints and have perfect diets and are clearly in physical decline.

The battle with nature always ends up with the same winner in the end

[faithsdaddy]

David- I got the wrong end of the stick then.

6 million dollar man- It's the proportions of Carbs, fat & protein. Essentially, eat absolutely tons of fruit, a little veg and the odd handful of nuts.

Check out Dr Douglas Graham on the net for more information. I've read so much about it that I can't remember what I read and from where.

If I was ever in a terminal situation with my health, it's what I would do. Have seen far too many people die from cancer, etc, to believe that alopathic medicine is the best way.

My 2p on the whole age thingy- The higher level you practice a sport at, then age becomes a more significant factor. At 'club' level, it will make less difference, but still some.

Up to 40, the decline can be fairly gradual, but increases thereafter.

With Randy Couture, I feel that his game is based on good body movement and strength (which can improve, despite decreases in physical ability) and plays down speed and power. Then again, I'd have thought Tito would have been this way too, but he's nowhere near as good as he was.

So what the f..k do I know then eh!

[6million$man]

This guy is a chiropractor i believe so I'm not sure I'd take his word on curing cancer with a healthy diet! It's extremely easy to prove the effectiveness of modern medicine in treating cancer.

Having said that, I'm not guna argue that eating plenty of fruit and veg is good for you!