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Effects of Exercise and Aging in the Masters-Level Athlete

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Endurance Sports Medicine

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Abstract

A Master athlete is defined as one who is 35 years of age or older, participating in competitive sports. Often in elite physical shape and stamina, Masters athletes are still subject to the inevitable changes of aging: sarcopenia and the loss of function associated with it, cardiopulmonary decline, and hormonal changes. This chapter evaluates the aging process as it pertains to the Masters athlete, determines differences and similarities among the athlete and the average aging adult, and ascertains deficiencies in the available research on this subject. In this review, we describe changes in peak endurance and strength exercise performance with advancing age as well as physiological and biomechanical factors responsible for those changes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Sports Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA

    Jenny Berezanskaya

  2. Department of Orthopedics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Thomas M. Best

Authors
  1. Jenny Berezanskaya
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  2. Thomas M. Best
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, New Albany, Columbus, OH, USA

    Timothy L. Miller

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Berezanskaya, J., Best, T.M. (2023). Effects of Exercise and Aging in the Masters-Level Athlete. In: Miller, T.L. (eds) Endurance Sports Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26600-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26600-3_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-26599-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-26600-3

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