The anti-ageing formula for tri

We can’t avoid the ageing process, sadly, but we can optimise our training so we get the best out of our performance at any age. Professor Greg Whyte explains…

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Up to our mid-30s, ageing is generally associated with an improvement in athletic performance. But beyond that, there’s an inexorable decline associated with a range of physiological, psychological and sociological factors.

Sociological changes include family and vocational pressures, which tend to limit our available time for training and recovery. We also commonly find ourselves in a society that believes high-level performance is either impossible as we age, or is regarded as a frivolous, selfish pursuit when other commitments should take precedence (i.e. family, work, etc.).

These time constraints to training and recovery are combined with physiological ageing, such as hormonal changes, which lead to a decrease in muscle mass, leading to a reduction in strength and power. Then there’s a reduction in VO2 max (approx. 4-5 ml/kg/min per decade), which is linked to a reduced maximum cardiac output (the amount of blood the heart pumps per minute) and a reduced maximum arteriovenous oxygen difference (a measure of the extraction of oxygen from the blood). Given the essential role of strength, power, and aerobic and anaerobic capacity in tri performance, combined with a reduction in available training and recovery time, it would appear that we’re destined to get slower and slower. However, we can still adapt and refine our programme to optimise training, recovery, and performance while also optimising our personal and social responsibilities.

A targeted approach can go a long way to slowing the rate of performance decline and keep us competitive as we age. The performance of the world’s best agegroupers is not an accident, it’s a demonstration of what targeted training can do to flatten the downward trajectory of performance. Targeted nutrition and lifestyle management can also support recovery and adaptation while also providing a balanced lifestyle. Ageing is not a signal to take it easier, but rather to increase efforts to target the causes of the age-related decline.

“A targeted approach can go a long way to s lowing the rate of performance decline”

For example, given the reduction in muscle mass, you should increase strength training that targets hypertrophy (i.e. high weight, low rep). Combine that with targeted protein consumption (the timing, type and quantity of protein are all important in optimising muscle adaptation) and sufficient recovery.

A common mistake when faced with reduced performance is to focus on discipline-specific training – e.g. running is getting slower so run more. Instead, we should be targeting the weak link in the chain. Given muscle mass underpins each of these determinants, it’s likely be more beneficial to target strength training combined with power training (i.e. plyometrics and speed sessions) as we age.

Ageing is unavoidable, but we can maintain control of our training and lifestyle management. Accordingly, targeting specific determinants of age-related decline in performance and optimising recovery is the anti-ageing formula, providing us with an opportunity to slow the rate of performance decline and remain competitive as we age.

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