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The Boys of Summer, the Men of Fall

Why some athletes improve with age and some don't.

"Ageing is sports-specific," says Waneen Spirduso, a researcher in human movement at the University of Texas, because excellence in any sport depends on three ingredients – power, endurance and good nerves – and these components deteriorate at different rates. Weightlifting, rowing and wrestling all require short bursts of great strength, the ability least affected by ageing. The muscle cells which make up the tissue responsible for strength die off with the passing years but so slowly as to make little difference until the age of 50 or beyond. Forty-year-old rowers can therefore remain competitive with 25-year-olds. To fuel muscles for longer events, the body relies on oxygen. The sooner oxygen reaches muscles, the better the performance. But with age, the lungs lose elasticity and take in less oxygen. Beginning at 30, oxygen capacity decreases 5-10% per decade. This makes a major difference to cyclists, swimmers, and runners. The third of the athletic components, good nerves, underlies gymnastics and field events, which require perfect balance. Because neurons start to deteriorate in the 20s, you don't see many world class gymnasts over 25. Nerves are also crucial in sprints, triple jump and hurdles. That's why most track stars are past their prime by their mid-to-late-20s. Ageing takes its biggest toll in the sprints and jumps where you need a quick reaction time.