Different strokes for older folks
HEALTH: March of time takes bite out of masters’ swim intervals
If you think Speedos should be outlawed after the age of 30, you haven’t been hanging around with the masters swim crowd that wears Speedos like a badge of honour.
And why not? This dedicated group of athletes spends hours in the pool every week in an effort to stay fit. Many also look forward to getting faster in middle age than they were in their youth.
Why is masters swimming so popular? It’s easy on the joints, age friendly and more forgiving on the body than high-impact activity. And since much of swimming is based on technique, even if the engine loses a few RPMs over time, most swimmers can still cut through the water like a pro.
Given swimming’s unique properties, does age affect performance as much as other sports? And while it’s a given that swimmers will see their times increase as the decades add up, is there any way to mediate the march of time through modifying training plans?
To learn more about the role age plays in swimming performance, Portuguese researchers reviewed several studies of masters swimmers.
All the studies reported that performance in the pool decreased with age, with some studies suggesting time to finish increased by 62 per cent as swimmers moved from the youngest age group (25-35 years) to the 55-plus crowd. Women seemed to slow down more with age than men, a factor that evened out as the distance increased.
An example of age-related performance decline was illustrated in a 60-minute swim test. The oldest male swimmers completed 84.7 per cent fewer lengths in an hour than the youngest group of men, while the older women swam 105.5 per cent fewer lengths than their younger counterparts.
Another study charted swim times over the course of a 12-year period and noted a more significant slowdown in long-distance events versus shorter-distance swims. Among this group, peak performance over 1,500 metres was maintained into the mid-30s, after which there was a decline until age 70.
It’s estimated that among men, performance decreases about 0.34 to 0.55 per cent a year for 50-m swims, 0.26 to 0.68 annually in the 100 m and 0.13 to 0.55 per cent per year over 1,500 m.
For women, 50-m swims slowed down annually by 0.13 to 0.93 per cent, 100-m swims got 0.10 to 1.2 per cent slower and 1,500-m swims slowed down by 0.04 to 0.94 per cent annually.
Several factors contribute to the slowing down of masters swimmers, including technique. Older swimmers take fewer and shorter strokes, which means they don’t get as far with each stroke and expend more energy.
That said, the technical ability of masters swimmers varies considerably. Many hit the pool later in life and lack the technique of those who swam competitively in their youth, making it hard to lump all masters swimmers together.
Another contributing factor is the loss of aerobic and anaerobic power that happens to swimmers and non-swimmers alike. Most studies suggest a drop in VO2 Max of about 10 per cent per decade after the age of 30, though there is some suggestion that a vigorous training program can attenuate some of that decline.
As for anaerobic power, the fact that long-distance events seem to slow down at a faster rate than shorter-distance events suggests anaerobic power (sprinting) is less affected by age than aerobic power (distance).
But it’s not just the engine losing steam that makes a difference in the pool. Changes to the body and to training volume and intensity also play a role. The extra pounds that come with age combined with change in body composition (less muscle, more fat) can result in small changes in technique.
Add to that the tendency for older swimmers to reduce their training schedule because of increased commitments outside of the pool and more of a focus on maintaining overall fitness rather than their competitive edge and an overall slowing down is unavoidable.
So what’s the bottom line when it comes to being the best you can be in the pool despite middle age?
The Portuguese researchers recommend more focus on improving technique and efficiency in the water rather than more time swimming.
“Training should include a higher percentage of technical drills to enhance the technical performance of (masters) swimmers,” they said.