Scientists have reported a gradual decrease in endurance with age.

A person's physical performance reaches its maximum by about 35 years of age, after which a gradual decrease in strength, endurance, and overall fitness begins. This was reported on December 16 in the journal Medical Xpress.

As part of the Swedish Study of Physical Activity and Fitness, experts have been observing several hundred men and women randomly selected across the country for 47 years. Participants were studied from adolescence — from 16 years old — to adulthood, up to 63 years old, regularly assessing their endurance, muscle strength and physical performance.

Unlike previous studies based primarily on one-time cross-sections, this study made it possible to track changes in the physical condition of the same people over the decades. The analysis showed that the first signs of a decrease in physical fitness appear by the age of 35, regardless of the amount of training. After that, the decline continues and accelerates over time.

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At the same time, the researchers emphasize that physical activity remains an effective tool for maintaining shape. Participants who started exercising regularly as adults improved their physical performance by 5-10%. This suggests that exercise can slow down age-related changes, even if it is impossible to stop them completely.

According to the lead author of the work, Maria Westerstal, a lecturer at the Karolinska Institute, movement is beneficial at any age. She noted that physical activity helps to mitigate the decline in performance, and now the team of scientists plans to focus on studying the mechanisms that determine the peak of physical abilities and the reasons for their subsequent decline.

The journal The Physiological Society (Physoc) reported that the time of day does not determine the success of blood flow restriction training: participants demonstrated the same rate of adaptation in all key parameters — from changes in dry weight to an increase in strength characteristics.

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