The Olympic Games always bring together the best of the best athletes – the fastest, the most agile, the strongest, etc. The winners are athletes who are in good health, train hard, and have many other qualities, not the least of which is age. This raises a logical question – at what age do athletes have the best chance of winning the gold medal, and at what age should they not participate in competitions? Much depends on the type of sport, however, scientists have managed to answer this question thanks to numerous studies.
11-year-old skateboarder from China at the Olympic Games in Paris. Photo source: new.qq.com
Contents
- 1 How old are the youngest and oldest participants in the Olympic Games
- 2 What is the average age of athletes at the Olympic Games
- 3 What determines an athlete's endurance
- 4 At what age are athletes the fastest
- 5 In which sports do athletes over 30 win
How old are the youngest and oldest participants in the Olympic Games
At the Olympic Games in Paris, the youngest athlete was an eleven-year-old skateboarder from China, Zheng Haohao. However, there have been younger competitors in the history of the Olympic Games. The record was set at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens — it was taken by a ten-year-old gymnast from Greece, Dimitrios Loundras, who took third place at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Mary Hanna is the oldest Olympic participant, she is 69 years old. Photo source: horsesport.com
The oldest athlete at the Paris Olympics was Australian equestrian Mary Hannah, aged 69. However, she is far from the age record, as the 1920 Antwerp Olympics featured Swedish athlete Oscar Svahn, who was 72.
What is the average age of athletes at the Olympics
The above-mentioned athletes are the exception rather than the rule. For example, according to a study conducted in 2021, the vast majority of athletes who competed in the Tokyo Olympics were 20 years old. At the same time, 90% of athletes were under 30.
From this we can conclude that athletes reach their peak performance between the ages of 20 and 30. Apparently, it is during this period that the body has the greatest endurance. For example, at the aforementioned Olympic Games in 2020, the men's road cycling race was won by a 28-year-old athlete from Ecuador, and the women's marathon was won by a 27-year-old athlete from Kenya. In these sports, one of the main factors for victory is endurance.
Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz, who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 28. Photo source: velodaily.ru
What determines an athlete's endurance
By endurance we mean the ability of the human body to undergo physical exertion for a long time without reducing performance, as well as rapid recovery after such exertion. It has long been known that endurance is associated with aerobic capacity. This term refers to the amount of oxygen that the human body can absorb every minute during intense physical exertion.
Aerobic capacity is measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed per minute per kilogram of body weight. The average figure for a normal person is about 30 milliliters/min/kg. For the best athletes, it can reach 80 or even 90 ml/min/kg.
In sports such as the marathon, endurance plays a decisive role. Photo source: sportrbc.ru
As we age, our ability to absorb large volumes of oxygen declines. A 2016 study found that this is due to the deterioration of the heart's function – with age, the maximum possible heart rate decreases, as well as the volume of blood pumped by the heart in one beat decreases. That is, the heart begins to work less efficiently. Age-related changes in the heart valves, muscle fibers, and artery walls are to blame.
At what age are athletes the fastest
Endurance is not the only indicator that an athlete needs to win in many disciplines. Sometimes speed plays an equally important role, which also peaks between the ages of 20 and 30. For example, the speed record for running was set in 2009 by a 23-year-old native of Jamaica. He ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds.
The superiority of athletes at this age is consistent with a 2021 study in which the authors examined athletes' performance during aerobic and anaerobic exercise. During aerobic exercise, such as marathons, the athlete's muscles are fully supplied with oxygen, so they can use fats and carbohydrates as an energy source.
Sprinters show their best results at the age of 20 to 30. Photo source: videouroki.net
During anaerobic exercise, such as hurdles, there is not enough oxygen. Therefore, the body switches to glucose, which is contained in muscle tissue. After analyzing data from the Olympics from 1960 to 2016, scientists found that the peak of anaerobic performance occurs at 23 years, and aerobic performance is at its highest at 26 years.
In addition, some studies have shown that after age 30, fast-twitch fibers in muscles begin to break down. They generate short, strong muscle contractions but tire quickly. These fibers are what make young people excel in sports like sprinting.
As is known, in sports it is often not only the speed itself that is important, but also the reaction speed. As one study showed, the peak reaction speed occurs at 24 years, after which the reaction decreases by 4-10 milliseconds every year. Therefore, the reaction speed of a 34-year-old athlete can be 100 milliseconds slower than it was at 24 years old. The loss of reaction speed occurs due to age-related changes in nerve fibers, which no longer conduct signals as well.
In some sports, age does not matter so much. Photo source: championat.com
In which sports do athletes over 30 win?
In sports where endurance and speed are not as important as skill, athletes aged 30-40 have an advantage. For example, archery is one of these sports. In these disciplines, a person can rely on their experience, in addition, at the age of 30-40, it is easier for an athlete to calm down and control his breathing.
For example, in 2020, the gold medal in Japan was won by shooter Jiri Liptak from the Czech Republic, who was 39 years old at the time of the competition. In some sports, such as equestrian, even people over 50 years old become gold medalists. For example, Nick Skelton, representing Great Britain, won his second gold medal in equestrian sports when he was already 58 years old.
Nick Skelton won gold at 58. Photo source: independent.co.uk
But there are also sports in which younger athletes have a certain advantage. First of all, we are talking about gymnastics, where flexibility is important. Therefore, for a long time, the age of gymnasts at the Olympic Games was about 14 years. The dogma of women's gymnastics was simple – the younger the athlete, the better the result. However, recently the age of gymnasts has begun to increase.
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There are different reasons for this. Due to the introduced restriction, the age of participants must be at least 16 years. In addition, coaches have recently begun to use a scientific approach, which allows female athletes to successfully continue their careers at an older age. Currently, according to a recent study, gymnasts are most successful at age 19.