Research impact: Musculoskeletal function in master athletes
A study by the Centre is changing the training routines of hundreds of older runners - and has wider lessons for improving the quality of later life.
Research summary
Research summary
Researchers at the Centre have been working to create a model for ‘optimal’ ageing by examining the effects of long-term exercise on mobility, frailty, injury and quality of later life.
Professor Jamie McPhee secured funding from the Medical Research Council to undertake comparative studies using a large cohort of elite master athletes (aged 35-90+).
The above study and other performed by the Centre showed that even highly competitive cyclists and athletes in jumping, sprinting and distance running events experience significant age-related decrease in performance and loss of muscle mass, strength, bone mass and balance.
A comparison of sprint versus endurance runners showed that a focus on power-based running, such as sprinting, could lead to higher bone density, suggesting longer-term benefits to bone health from strength-based exercise.
Researchers also found that postural stability in older runners was no better than the balance of healthy, non-active people of a similar age - both groups of older people showed significantly more sway than younger adults.
The findings suggested that without specific balance training, older runners could still be at high risk from falls and fractures despite their remarkable activity and fitness levels.
Statistic
Research impact
Research impact
The Centre has worked with the British Masters Athletes Federation (BMAF) on a campaign to encourage older elite competitive and leisure runners to incorporate balance training into their routines.
The campaign was supported by Athletics Weekly (AW), the UK’s top running magazine, The Times and the organisers of the Great North Run 2018.
Researchers worked with the BMAF to produce a guide to health and active ageing, Strong and Balanced Training. The BMAF distributed training advice to around 900 master athletes at competitions in 2018-19.
An independent focus group of older athletes run by AW showed runners changed their training routines after learning about the research findings. An evaluation survey run by the Centre and the BMAF suggests that more than 650 athletes are now spending more time on balance training.
This change in behaviour is significant as it reduces the risk of falls and potential injuries for the runners.
I‘ve long suspected I was unbalanced in daily activities and needed to do something about it… since starting to concentrate on balance training I have found ordinary daily tasks better and feel my running is improving.
Research outputs
Research outputs
Academic papers
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Bagley, L, McPhee, JS, Ganse, B, Müller, K, Korhonen, MT, Rittweger, J and Degens H (2019) Similar relative decline in aerobic and anaerobic power with age in endurance and power master athletes of both sexes Scand J Med Sci Sports, 29, 791-799
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Ganse, B, Ganse, U, Dahl, J, and Degens, H (2018) Linear Decrease in Athletic Performance during the Human Life Span Frontiers Physiol, 9, Article 1100
- Ireland, A, Mittag, U, Degens, H, Felsenberg, D, Ferretti, JL, Heinonen, A, Koltai, E, Korhonen, MT, McPhee, JS, Mekjavic, I, Piasecki, J, Pisot, R, Radak, Z, Simunic, B, Suominen, H, Wilks, DC, Winwood, K and Rittweger. J (2020) Greater maintenance of bone mineral content in male than female athletes, and in sprinting and jumping than endurance athletes: A longitudinal study of bone strength in elite masters athletes Arch Osteoporosis, 15, 87
- Leightley, D et al (2017). Postural stability during standing balance and sit-to-stand in master athlete runners compared with nonathletic old and young adults J. Aging Phys. Act. 25(3):345-350
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McPhee, JS, French, DP, Jackson, D, Nazroo, J, Pendleton, N, and Degens, H (2016) Physical activity in older age: perspectives for healthy ageing and frailty. Biogerontology, 17(3), 567-580
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Piasecki, M, Ireland, A, Piasecki, J, Degens, H, Stashuk, DW, Swiecicka, A, Rutter, MK, Jones, DA and McPhee, JS (2019) Long-term endurance and power training may facilitate motor unit size expansion to compensate for declining motor unit numbers in older age Frontiers in Physiology, 10, Article 449
Research team
Research team
- Prof Hans Degens
- Prof Jamie McPhee
- Dr Bergita Ganse
- Dr Alex Ireland
External funding
With funding from
Medical Research Council
Contact
Contact us
For general enquiries about the Musculoskeletal Function in Health and Ageing research theme, you can contact its lead Prof Rachel Cooper.
