Declines in physiological functional capacity with age: a longitudinal study in peak swimming performance

• DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00438.2002
• Publication Date: 2015-03-03T15:43:33Z
• Authors: Anthony J. Donato; Kathleen Tench; Deborah H. Glueck; Douglas R. Seals; Iratxe Eskurza; Hirofumi Tanaka
• Keywords: Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Male; Aging; Sex Characteristics; Work Capacity Evaluation; Middle Aged; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Humans; Regression Analysis; Female; Longitudinal Studies; Swimming; Aged

We followed up swimming performance times of 321 women and 319 men who participated in the US Masters Swimming Championships over a 12-yr period. All swimmers placed top 10 their age group 3 yr (mean = 5 yr). A random coefficients model for repeated measures was used to derive line best fit from regression lines each subject. Both 50- 1,500-m declined modestly until approximately 70 age, where more rapid decline observed both women. Compared with swimming, 50-m freestyle slowly age. The rate magnitude declines were greater than freestyle; such sex-related differences not freestyle. Overall, variability along population increased markedly advancing present longitudinal findings indicate that 1) progressively 70, decrease becomes quadratic; 2) rates are long-duration short-duration event, suggesting relatively smaller loss anaerobic muscular power compared cardiovascular endurance; 3) age-related only event; 4) increases