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Aging is inevitable but it happens for those of us who are fortunate and careful. The conundrum for athletes is that aging will generally negatively affect many of the results we fight for in our training every day. Are there things we can do as athletes to combat the supposed inevitable. Let’s take a look.
Aging is a complex process that scientists continue to explore, but for athletes like us, it’s not just about living longer—it’s about performing well as we age. As masters athletes, staying strong, lean, and fit isn’t just a byproduct of training; it’s a priority. To perform at our best, we must do more than just “use it or lose it.” We need to continue putting in quality efforts, often at or above our performance goals. While this is hard work, it’s something we’re already accustomed to. However, as time goes on, there are specific adaptations we need to make. Let’s explore how you can maintain peak performance and thrive at any age by training smart, with purpose and intensity.
For masters athletes, maintaining performance requires more than just staying active. Cardiovascular conditioning and strength training are essential, especially for post-menopausal women, for whom the stakes are even higher.
Aging is often described as a gradual process, but for women, menopause can feel more like a seismic shift. The hormonal changes during and after menopause make it significantly harder for women to assimilate protein and build muscle, accelerating the loss of muscle mass and strength. This makes proper nutrition and training adaptations critical if you want to not only maintain your competitive edge but also to continue to be strong and resilient for everythng life throws at you.
As we age, high-intensity training and strength work become even more important in maintaining both mitochondrial quantity and quality. Mitochondrial are the powerhouse cells essential for energy production which is at core of the aerobic effort central to the goals of an endurance athlete. Over time, the rate of cell loss surpasses cell regeneration, but high-intensity interval training and strength training can strengthen existing cells and slow the rate of decline. This is beneficial in multiple ways:
Additionally, maintaining physical fitness improves mental health, making longer life more fulfilling if you enjoy what you do.
Dietarily, masters athletes of all genders need to focus on taking in adequate protein to support their strength training goal in order to maximize their potential for muscle protein synthesis. While that is a topic to be discussed in greater depth, suffice it to say that increasing the macronutrient balance to increase protein intake is important.For masters women this is even more critical post-menopause. We need to prioritize increasing overall protein intake—both in total quantity and as a percentage of daily macronutrient intake. Protein supports muscle repair and maintenance, but hormonal changes post-menopause reduce the body’s ability to synthesize it so we just need to provide more opportunity. Pairing strength training, particularly resistance exercises like squats, deadlifts, and body-weight movements, with sufficient protein is the most effective way to retain muscle mass and strength for both women and men.
Thriving after age 40, especially for post-menopausal women, requires a structured plan that includes high-intensity intervals and strength training. These workouts maintain heart health, muscle mass, and mitochondrial function, improving energy and endurance. For women, strength training combats the accelerated muscle loss associated with aging, while increased protein intake supports muscle repair and growth.
Cardiovascular fitness is one of the most critical indicators of long-term heart health. Numerous studies show that people with high levels of aerobic fitness tend to live longer, healthier lives, often avoiding many metabolic and cardiovascular issues. For athletes, maintaining strong cardiovascular health is key not only to longevity in sport but also in life.
One aspect of fitness that declines with age is aerobic capacity, particularly top-end power potential. Two adaptations can help masters athletes maintain their performance:
For example, integrating swim and run drills into your workouts can help maintain proper technique and optimize performance.
As we age, our bodies undergo changes that may require some adaptations to cardio training. High-impact activities like running—or even low-impact activities when combined with physiological imbalances—can put strain on joints and connective tissues, leading to discomfort or injury over time. Masters athlete can shift the relative training load toward lower-impact activities to preserve joint health while maintaining cardiovascular fitness. Activities like cycling, swimming and rowing provide high levels of aerobic benefit without the stress on joints that running or jumping sports may cause.
In my own training, I’ve made this shift. I still love running, but my long runs now last around an hour, compared to the two-hour sessions I used to do. This adjustment helps me focus on preserving long-term mobility and fitness while protecting my joints and connective tissues.
Despite the benefits of low-impact activities, some high-impact or dynamic sports, like pickleball, gain popularity or remain popular among athletes of all ages. However, intense levels of play that involve quick changes in direction and rapid acceleration can increase the risk of injury, particularly if not paired with proper warm-ups and mobility work.
For athletes focused on longevity, finding the right balance of activities is crucial. For many, this balance skews toward lower-impact modalities like cycling and swimming, which provide continued cardiovascular benefits without compromising joint health. One masters athlete I know is renowned as a strong runner but he's not a fan of swimming. In his 70's now, he dutifully puts in even more time in the pool now as he incorporates water running into his routine. The key isn’t to stop challenging yourself but to adjust your approach so you can stay active and strong for years to come.
Your age is just a number. By continuing to push yourself, train hard, and adapt intelligently, you can keep thriving in competition and in life. Many of us are still competing—and winning—well into our 60's and even 70's, even outperforming younger athletes. This isn’t the result of just casual exercise; it’s the outcome of a structured approach that balances rest, recovery, and intensity.
As we age, we also gain perspective. Maybe this is where the saying "older and wiser" comes from. For instance, while our biggest, fastest, or most impressive results may be behind us, we can still find great satisfaction in setting new personal benchmarks for where we are now. There’s also freedom in letting go of the pressure to achieve specific results and instead focusing on the process and the work itself.
One thing that sets lifelong athletes apart is the discipline and mindset developed over years of commitment to a goal and the execution of a plan. What others may see as determination is simply habit to us—it’s what we do. We don’t have to rely on sheer willpower anymore. That said, it’s time to train!
Thank you for reading. I hope you found this useful. While we are all a sample size of one and will each find our unique solutions, there are common challenges—and common answers—that can help us all thrive.
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