By André Santos

Innovation in training and recovery methodologies have made it possible for some long-distance skiers to improve, and for others to maintain their performance as they age.

In September, Team Ragde Charge published on its Facebook page a photo of a strong athlete running at Oslo Triathlon. At the description, one could read: The man, the myth, the legend Anders Aukland turns 49 years old. It is impressive since Aukland is still competing at such a high level.

Also, Hans Mäenpää (42), Stanislav Rezac (48) and other elite long-distance skiers can still be seen competing at the Visma Ski Classics events. They finish the races in top positions and ahead of younger athletes. Next season, Marit Bjørgen will make some younger skiers worry when she is out there on the tracks.

This raised a question: can endurance performance improve, or at least be sustained, through aging? It used to be commonly accepted that one’s performance decreases sharply when an athlete reaches 35-40 years old. But recent research shows that this might not be true. Master endurance athlete’s performance has been increasing over the last decades, thanks to new methods of training, recovering, and nutrition.

According to the research, some characteristics like a decline in Vo2max are impossible to avoid. But it seems that it is possible to maintain or even improve lactate tolerance, mostly due to strength training that improves muscular economy.

Muscle mass plays a critical role in racing and recovering. To sustain long periods of endurance activity, glycogen needs to be stored in muscles so it can fuel muscles. So, more muscle mass means more glycogen stored.

Another characteristic that limits the decrease of performance that should come with age is experience and technique. Double-poling fast is not achieved only by strength but by a balance of technique and strength that is only possible with years of practice. And regarding this combination, experienced Visma Ski Classics long-distance skiers are the best in the world.

Lastly, some theories suggest that there is a greater neuromuscular control with age. While muscle mass and vo2max may be declining, the neural network between the nervous system and muscle fibers works better, resulting in better performances than younger and stronger athletes are capable of.

So, by constantly extending the limits of endurance, long-distance skiers like Anders Aukland, Marit Bjørgen or Stanislav Rezac represent an important insight into the ability to maintain physical performance with advancing age.