The New York Times talks to University of Pittsburgh orthopedic surgeon and exercise researcher Dr. Vonda Wright about her study that suggests older runners can perform adequately through age 75.
I used to run with a guy who was unhappy with the way his performance had deteriorated over the years. In his early 20s, he said, he had been super-fast. A couple of decades later and about 20 pounds heavier, he had lost that amazing speed.
“Too many miles on the tires,” he would say. His idea was that if you start racing when you are young, you will be worse in middle age than if you started fresh when you were older.
But is it true, and if so, how does it happen? Do athletes accumulate injuries, for example, or just get mentally fatigued after competing nonstop for decades?
Original source: The New York Times
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