Fitness Friday

Future Fitness for Older Runners
Blood work on current endurance runners could have a beneficial impact on predicting the future of fitness for older athletes for years to come.

It's a known fact that endurance training has a beneficial impact on the physical and mental well-being of people of all ages, especially in those that are older. Researchers from the biobank at MedUni Vienna, in collaboration with The Health and Prevention Center of the Healthcare Institution for Cit of Vienna Employees, conducted research using blood tests on older endurance athletes to predict future changes in fitness, and significantly improve and optimize future fitness programs for those that are older. It's a known fact that older people have a greater potential for improving their fitness habits, than their youthful counterpart. The study took blood from 47 marathon runners before an ergometer test, and the following biomarkers of analyte levels were looked at: inflammatory markers, muscle and liver parameters. 

The tests were taken over a period of three years and 2/3 of those who took part in the study saw a decline in the research parameters of the third year compared to the initial evaluation. Researchers are now advancing their study and utilizing a fitness app to track the fitness schedules and activities of those taking part in the study. The hope of this future study, is to identify the differences in fitness routines and schedules of those who exhibited a decline in fitness biomarkers, and those who saw no decline. If significant differences can be found, optimized and personalized fitness routines for older generations across the fitness spectrum will be able to be more easily drawn up for optimal results.