Bad news! Previous studies relied on cross-sectional data, while few studies are based on longitudinal data like this one.
Aging is a bitch! Hopefully, machine learning & AI will finally make a difference in the near future.
"A 47-year study tracking over 400 people found that physical fitness and strength begin declining at age 35, with cardio endurance dropping at 45 for both men and women, regardless of previous workout habits."
"Previously, researchers relied on cross-sectional studies to gain this knowledge. The SPAF study is one of the few that, for nearly 50 years, has regularly measured fitness and strength in the same randomly selected men and women across Sweden. ...
The results show that fitness and strength begin to decline as early as age 35, regardless of training volume. After that, there is a gradual deterioration that accelerates with age. But the researchers also have positive news: individuals who started being physically active in adulthood improved their physical capacity by 5–10 percent. ..."
From the abstract:
"Background:
As we age, there is a progressive decline in skeletal muscle tissue and function that can become clinically significant in the sixth decade of life affecting independent living and health.
Longitudinal observations in elite athletes show that peak physical performance is reached before the age of about 35 years despite continuous training, suggesting that the tissue processes underlying muscle dysfunction may begin decades before they become clinically relevant. To answer the question of whether the pattern of performance decline in athletes also applies to the general population, a population-based longitudinal study is needed.
Longitudinal observations in elite athletes show that peak physical performance is reached before the age of about 35 years despite continuous training, suggesting that the tissue processes underlying muscle dysfunction may begin decades before they become clinically relevant. To answer the question of whether the pattern of performance decline in athletes also applies to the general population, a population-based longitudinal study is needed.
Methods:
In the Swedish population cohort (SPAF), 427 individuals (48% women) born in 1958 underwent repeated objective assessments of physical capacity from age 16 to 63 years. Linear mixed models were used to estimate age- and sex-specific changes in the original cohort during the study period.
Results:
The estimated maximal aerobic capacity and muscular endurance (bench press repetitions) peaked at ages 26-36 in both sexes and declined gradually, starting at 0.3%-0.6% per year and accelerating to 2.0%-2.5% per year (main effect of age p < 0.001 and sex p < 0.01), with no sex difference in decline rates.
Muscle power was measured using the Sargent jump test, with men having their peak at age 27, and women at age 19.
Group variance in physical performance increased markedly with age, with relative aerobic capacity showing a 25-fold increase, jump height a nearly 5-fold increase, and muscular endurance a threefold increase in variance from adolescence to age 63.
The rate of decline was small initially (0.2%-0.5% per year) but increased with age (2.2% per year), in both sexes (main effect of age p < 0.001 and sex p < 0.001), with no difference between the sexes.
The overall decline in physical capacity from peak to age 63 ranged from 30% to 48%.
Higher leisure-time physical activity at age 16 and becoming active in adulthood were associated with better performance across all outcomes (p = 0.00-0.02); having a university degree was positively associated with absolute aerobic capacity (p = 0.04) and muscular endurance (p = 0.02).
Conclusions:
The Swedish population cohort SPAF shows the same pattern of changes in physical capacity in adulthood as previously demonstrated for elite athletes. This confirms the concept that a decline in physical capacity can be observed before the age of 40, which can later lead to clinically significant physical dysfunction, especially in individuals with a sedentary lifestyle."
Rise and Fall of Physical Capacity in a General Population: A 47-Year Longitudinal Study (no public access)
Credits: The Flyover
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