Study Reveals The Exact Age When Fitness And Strength Decline
The study also suggests that physical activity can slow decline, with adults improving physical capacity by 5-10% if they start exercising.
· www.ndtv.comA groundbreaking 47-year study published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle revealed that physical fitness abilities start to decline as soon as age 35, regardless of prior exercise habits.
The Swedish Physical Activity and Fitness study tracked over 400 men and women, aged 16 to 63, and found that cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength begin to deteriorate after this peak age.
Those who participated in the study performed various exercises, including bench press, a vertical jump test and cycling for at least 10 minutes.
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"The Swedish population cohort SPAF shows the same pattern of changes in physical capacity in adulthood as previously demonstrated for elite athletes," the authors of the study wrote as the conclusion.
"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."
The study found that the peak fitness age is 35 years old, and after that, fitness levels steadily worsen. When it comes to decline rate, gradual deterioration accelerates with age, with overall physical capacity dropping 30-48% by age 63.
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The study found that women lose muscle power around age 32, while men experience a decline a few years later. Meanwhile, the aerobic endurance declines at 45 for both.
The study also suggests that physical activity can slow decline, with adults improving their physical capacity by 5-10% if they start exercising. "It is never too late to start moving," lead study author and lecturer at the Department of Laboratory Medicine Maria Westerstahl, said as quoted by the New York Post. "Our study shows that physical activity can slow the decline in performance, even if it cannot completely stop it."
The researchers now aim to uncover underlying mechanisms and continue tracking participants into their late 60s.
"Now we will look for the mechanisms behind why everyone reaches their peak performance at age 35 and why physical activity can slow performance loss but not completely halt it," Westerstahl said as quoted.
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