The Paradox of the Aging Athlete

10 Dec 2009

“The Paradox of the Aging Athlete”

In the world of CrossFit and other athletic circles, there is a wide range of age in the athletes. As an affiliate owner, coach, physical therapist and “slightly” older athlete, I have been contemplating on how I can better serve the needs of all athletic ages.

So, might we approach our athletic population with one simple question: Is there a “need” for training models, methods or techniques that better suit the young, middle aged and older athlete? I think we can all agree that there are certain methods that are more appropriate and safer for the younger population, thus CrossFit Kids. The certain types of exercises, loads and intensities that are just not appropriate for the growing non-matured skeletal frame.

Through general observation, visiting other affiliate’s boxes, watching videos and the CrossFit Games, I estimate that the average age of a CrossFit athlete appears to be 30 yoa. But what about the other end of the spectrum? And at what age would we consider an athlete, “older,” and modify their training? To better develop a construct by which to work upon, I decided to do some basic research on the physiological differences of human tissues based on the aging cycle. This is not a recipe for training, but a starting point to discuss if there is a need to modify CrossFit training to populations based on the aging process.

Training variables such as type of exercise, intensity, frequency, loads, repetition count, rest and recovery cycles, should be areas of investigation for all coaches. To propose or develop a program with too rigid of a structure does not allow for the flexibility to modify training variables. A good example would be rest and recovery. The rest and recovery time of a 20 year old athlete is significantly different than that of a 45 year old athlete. All variables in training should be modified to best meet the needs of the individual athlete and promote maximum efficacy in results. My initial hypothesis is that CrossFit training should be modified or scaled to better serve the needs of the aging athlete.

Facts to Consider – Physiology of aging muscle and Connective Tissues

Muscle Physiology

Muscle protein loss in aging has been associated largely with skeletal muscle protein loss (Cohn et al,1980)

Evidence suggests that decrease in muscle mass with aging accounts for; decrease in BMR, decrease in V02 max (BLSA, Tzankoff and Norris, 1978)

Decreased muscle force production begins about 45 yoa, more rapid loss > 70 years old, 25-30% decrease more in the lower than upper extremities

Decreased muscle force production maybe due to a decrease in muscle cross sectional area (CSA)

Cadaver Studies: cross sections of entire vastus lateralis decrease of 10% in CSA between 30-50 yoa, decrease in 25-30% CSA between 50-80 years (Lexall, et al, 1988)

Resistance training-related changes in muscle strength, muscle size, fiber type, and myosin heavy chain isoform composition in 11 elderly subjects (age range, 85–97 years) after 12 weeks of heavy resistance training (80% of 1 RM) were examined. Twelve subjects constituted a control group. Resistance training increased isometric knee extensor strength 37% (P<0.05) and isokinetic knee strength 41–47% (P<0.05). Lean-quadriceps cross-sectional area increased 9.8% (P<0.05). Muscle fiber hypertrophy occurred only in the type 2 fibers (22% (P<0.05)). Type 1 fiber-type area percentage decreased [4.0 % (P<0.05)] whereas fiber-type area percentage of type 2a fibers increased [5.9% (P<0.05)] (A. I. Kryger, J. L. Andersen, 2006)

Endurance capacity of muscle function appears preserved, recovery of contractile properties after fatiguing work slower (Davies et al, 1983, 1984; Larsson, 1979)

Overall, these studies suggest that the maximal force/unit area can remain relatively constant, or improve with training to late ages in life. Muscle function with age also suggests that the intrinsic quality of the muscle can produce force in old as in young. It appears that the loss of force production is more due to muscle atrophy, disuse, loss of CSA due to in part a decrease in fast muscle fiber size. I think many of us have made the assumption that we can train older clients and achieve strength improvements, and we have observed this through experiential data. But these studies help support our assumptions and experiences.

Older athletes can create muscle hypertrophy and development through resistance training at varying levels. The ability to develop muscle does not appear to be the weakest link. But, on the other hand, lack of activity, disuse or lack of disruption of homeostasis, can create a decrease in muscle fiber size, function and the physical capacity of an older person. It is imperative that we gradually introduce training to the older population, but that we also educate them to the fact that homeostasis or equilibrium of the target tissue must be disrupted.

As a general population, we have been sold by the commercial exercise industry that normal human capacities are exercise! For example, in the world of physical therapy and the fitness community, walking is considered exercise. This may be true if the athlete has a lack of conditioning to walking as a daily task or athletic endeavor, and it elicits a significant disruption to their body systems. But, this is definitely not true if walking does not disrupt homeostasis.

CrossFit style training can have the potential to disrupt homeostasis. But we must be assured that during training we are not potentially damaging important soft tissues due to the aging process. Having injured athlete does not promote our primary goal of developing elite fitness. So where do we go from here? In the next article we will review the effects of aging on connective tissue such as tendon and ligaments.

Darin Deaton PT, MSPT, OCS, CAE

Physical Therapist

Level 1 CrossFit Coach

Olympic Lifting Certification

CrossFit Endurance

CrossFit Exercise Science

CrossFit Football

14 Responses to The Paradox of the Aging Athlete

Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan

December 10th, 2009 at 11:21 am

Hey, Dutch! This is a really interesting topic… and as a 41-year-old CrossFitter, I’m glad to see you addressing it. I think the first hurdle is admitting I’m an “older woman.” GAH! I don’t even like to type that.

I wasn’t an athlete when I was young, and I didn’t start taking nutrition, rest, and training seriously until about 2-3 years ago. I have no baseline with which to compare my abilities and recovery needs now. I do sometimes wonder if judge my performance too harshly in the context of my fellow classmates, who range in age from 22 to 36. I don’t want to be a cupcake, but flogging myself for trailing just behind a 22-year-old boy seems a little harsh

Melissa Urban has coached me toward slightly less frequency and more intensity in my training. It would be great if there were some guidelines for those of us over 40. But don’t put me in the Master’s level yet

Ddeaton

December 10th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

Melissa, thanks for your insightful and honest comments. make no doubt about it, that any athlete in our gym will tell you that I, like you, give 100% to compete at whatever level I can. When I go into a WOD, I don’t think about myself any different because I am older than the athletes standing around me. But, without using age as a crutch, there is something to be said about training with our machine (body) in mind in relationship to it’s capacity and wear. I would agree that controlling training volume appears to be one of the greatest factors to allowing an older athlete to maintain long term higher levels of performance. You will see follow up blogs to this one that will hopefully better delineate these concepts. I think there are a lot of athletes out there 40+ who are performing at very high levels, want to stay that way, but are dealing with overuse injuries, lack of recovery and a sense of feeling behind the training curve that are hesitant to say so. This may be part of our culture within CrossFit, and one thing that needs to change starting with us!

Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan

December 10th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

The most confusing thing is that I’m not sure how this happened. I’m pretty sure I’m still 17

Ddeaton

December 10th, 2009 at 8:49 pm

In my mind I am also say around 22, plus or minus. As a college gymnast and athlete, You can do a lot of things that seem to come easy but disappear as you get older. When I found CrossFit I was stoked to see what I could regain, but now we need to make sure we balance our training with all the things that we know provides athletic development. And for athletes like us, rest, recovery, nutrition, training methodology, and all the other things you talked about are crucial elements. Older athletes must develop intuitive training thought processes and then develop accountability with a coach to insure we are not lying to ourselves about why we aren’t or cant do something.

December 11th, 2009 at 6:16 am

Allison at Crossfitnyc linked to this article on the CFNYC blog – thanks for writing it!

This topic is of great interest to me. Although I’m only 30, I’m acutely aware of how, as I age, I continue to amass this very particular history of experience and injury in my body that shapes my physical abilities and needs.

For the first time in my life I have suffered two rather painful and slow-to-heal injuries unprecipitated by specific traumatic events. Both of these injuries occurred in rapid succession, the first one just after my 6-months-of-Crossfit-and-heavy-lifting mark.

I came to Crossfit as an athlete/dancer/former tumbler (who’d recently returned to tumbler) and I was used to a high volume of activity, but I failed to adequately address my recovery needs as I added to the volume and overall intensity of my training and physical work.

It seems to me that an important question is not merely why we can or cannot do something, but whether if, simply because we can, we should.

I am still injured now (since July 09 —> though the first injury has healed and I’m just healing the second), but as I return to my activities, I will have new considerations to take into account. Especially now that I’ve suffered a lumbar/sacral injury I’ve got a lot of concerns about the potential trade-offs of lifting heavy.

I understand that there’s a lot of evidence that heavy lifting executed with perfect form is actually therapeutic, but it may be that the potential perils of lifting heavy with anything less than absolutely stellar biomechanics all the time outweigh for me the benefits of that particular kind of training.

I use my body not just for my enjoyment of my life, but also my livelihood as a performer and movement educator. Every injury in my life has been a time of incredible learning and in the case of the few really major injuries I’ve had, I’ve always gained awareness, intelligence, and strength in my healing process.

But I’d really rather not find out that an injury that in my 20s might have meant a little pain (or even a lot!) over a moderate period means a lot of pain – or permanent pain – over a sustained period as I get older. And I want to make sure that the ways in which I train actually benefit my priorities and goals in life, rather than being ends in and of themselves.

I hope my comments aren’t riddled with typos or grammatical errors —> the website form will not allow me to scroll up to review my comments!

December 11th, 2009 at 6:19 am

Just to add -

I say “heavy lifting” in this kind of general way above. There’s lifting that’s heavy that’s submaximal and there’s lifting that’s heavy that’s give-it-all-you-got. And I am still a novice lifter, so I can’t speak authoritatively from personal experience or coaching expertise about the advantages and disadvantages of these things in relation to my (or anyone else’s) particular needs and injury history. I continue to learn and I can infer —> but there’s certainly a lot of conflicting beliefs and advice.

Ddeaton

December 11th, 2009 at 6:54 am

Good stuff DC! I think the important thing to consider in any injury recovery is the appropriate progression of loading the tissue in steps that support the development and healing. In my own personal experience as an athlete and a physical therapist, heavy lifting whether at sub-maximal or maximal loads has a valuable roll. But, there has to be a progression, sense of awareness to proper mechanics and accountability to training principles. There are many athletes out there that will read this blog and say, “what a bunch of rubbish.” But, most of those athletes are 20 y/o athletes with a body that is genetically still in the growth process. Older athletes that have experienced what you are talking about, or even younger athletes that have sustained an injury, realize what you have gone through. Tissue that has been injured is not trained the same as tissue that is normal. There must be adherence to the healing process. I think you hit the nail on the head. Volume appears to be the greatest needed area of modification or scaling. With newer athletes in our gym we start with lower volume, reps and particular attention to movement patterns that support proper mechanics. As the volume increases, the joints and biomechanical chain needs to be moving correctly to be able to eventually support these larger loads. As the athlete progresses to higher loads, the coach must listen to how the their body is adapting to the training. BTW, in most professional realms of sport, 30 us not old, but it is not young either.

Louise Smith

December 13th, 2009 at 2:46 am

Very timely article! I am nearly 39 and like Melissa I didn’t pay much attention to my body or what I was doing to it and as a result now with Crossfit I am stronger and healthier than I have ever been, but I do have to remind myself that I am not 20 anymore and can’t beat up on myself because I can’t keep up with the 20 yo’s!!!

I would love to know how the 3 on – 1 off training schedule should be modified for older athletes. Or if it should?

Cathy

December 13th, 2009 at 11:11 am

It seems to be agreed that older athletes could benefit from cutting down on volume of workouts tin order to be able to keep up intensity and reduce the risk of injury.

I’d be super curious about how to cope with the psycholgy of making those changes. As someone who has worked out 6 days a week for more than 2 decades, I find the idea of cutting back to be a hard lifestyle change. I know from my nagging shoulder injury, and inability to go at the WOD hard each day, it would probably be good for me. But I always feel psychologically better the days I have been active (running, CrossFit, hiking)

Terri

December 13th, 2009 at 11:40 am

Thank you for this article. I am a 49 y/o woman who thought she was fit, but then found the amazing benifits of crossfit. My 23 y/o daughter got me started and we faithfully attend classes 4 times a week. We both use the 2 on 1 off and it works great. I do supplement with cycling and running stairs on my days off. It’s great to be in an enviroment where you only compete with yourself. Our trainer is very educated and stresses the importance of recovery and nutrition. I am stronger and more fit than i was in my 30’s.

Ddeaton

December 16th, 2009 at 7:04 am

I have found from personal experience and the experiences of my athletes that the 3 on 1 off schedule at higher intensities does not allow enough recovery time for older athletes. This is variable based on the “body age” of each athlete, but in general this should apply. I have gone to a 5 on 2 off schedule and so far have higher performance, a better sense of wellness, and improved times in my time domains. So, that is working for me. I went from 3 on 1 off, to 3 on 1off, 2 on 1 off, and then 5 on 2 off. For Cathy, I would recommend looking to your performance. If you are growing, improving, feeling good, 6 days a week may work for you. There is no cookbook recipe! But, if you are observing less performance, aches and pains and plateaued growth maybe a change is in order. Self evaluation and the eyes of another athlete are great to help us gain a better perspective. Ask someone you trust to honestly assess your performance. Now, for the “days off”, spend those days in active rest. Foam rolling, trigger point work, active/static stretching, learning more about nutrition or training, etc…. Hope this helps. You have to change your paradigm of what will get you where you want to go.

Mon, Dec 21st – CrossFit Ireland - Great People. Great Fitness.

December 20th, 2009 at 5:27 pm

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The Paradox of the Aging Athlete

14 Responses to The Paradox of the Aging Athlete

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