Good News and Bad for Older Runners

[GratefulEd]

TL;DR: As you age VO max stays steady while soft-tissue damage takes longer to heal. Common-sense stuff, but good to see the science behind it. Applicable to lifters, not just runners.

NY Times article on older runner study

I like this:

Happily, Dr. Quinn says, these particular physical detriments can be improved. “Older runners should try very hard to get to the gym to lift weights a few times a week,” he said. Concentrate on exercises that build upper-body strength. The sexagenarian and older runners in his study had almost as much leg strength as younger runners, he says, but far less muscle mass, strength and power in their arms and shoulders.