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...from the age of 30, our body composition gradually changes and our performance declines?

This gradual process is hardly noticeable at the beginning. Only from the age of 50 do many people notice that they have gained more fat while maintaining the same weight. This is due to the fact that muscles decrease while the percentage of fat increases. What’s also noticeable is the decline in muscle speed-strength, the drop in muscle elasticity, and the fact that injuries take a little longer to heal. As if that's not enough: on the whole, the body requires longer recovery times, the accessible lung volumes (vital capacity) decrease, and there is also a decline in performance of the heart and circulation.

It's never too late to be a champion

These are gloomy prospects for old age. But there is also good news, as proven by successful athletes above the age of 30, such as Nino Schurter, Nicola Spirig or Abraham Tadesse. Those who maintain their training intensity and volume, especially in endurance sports, can counteract this decline and more than make up for it with their experience in competitions. As you get older, it is important to boost your strength, flexibility, and coordination in parallel to endurance training, because more is needed to keep the body in good shape.

The most important tips:

• Accept the fact that you (too) are getting older, and your body is changing.
• Maintain a high level of training intensity and volume if you want to delay the drop in performance.
• Be prepared to invest more in accompanying measures so that your musculoskeletal system does not become the limiting factor.
• Never forget that training and recovery go hand in hand and that the recovery time slows down with age.
• The joy of doing what you do should always be the main driving force.