NOURISH TO FLOURISH

The nutrition you need to age-proof your performance

- Anita Bean

How to eat to thrive as you grow older? Anita Bean finds out G o back a few generations and it was rare to see middle-aged and older people participating in highlevel competition. Nowadays it's completely normal to want to retain a high level of fitness and remain competitive into our 50s, 60s and beyond. Even so, it's an inescapable fact that we experience a gradual decline in our performance as we age.

Muscle mass and strength decrease, affecting our power output and endurance. Maximum heart rate declines, as does our heart's ability to pump blood efficiently. This results in a lower maximum oxygen uptake - VO2 max which is crucial for endurance cycling. While some of these changes are a normal part of ageing, they can be influenced by diet and training too. Here, we delve into some core nutritional and training strategies to counter the age-related decline and keep you fast and flourishing as you grow older.

"Many of the physiological changes you experience as you get older are underpinned by hormone changes - namely a decline in anabolic hormones," explains Dr Nicky Keay, honorary clinical lecturer at University College London and author of Hormones, Health and Human Potential. "These are gradual declines, but for women there is a drop-off of female hormones at menopause, which has a big impact on health and performance."

'Anabolic' is from 'anabolism' the body's growing and building processes. Growth hormone (GH) is important for maintaining a favourable body composition. Reduced GH leads to a reduction in muscle mass and potentially an increase in body fat. This age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is called sarcopenia, which typically begins in your 30s and accelerates from around 50. Without intervention in the form of strength training, it can result in a very significant loss of muscle bulk.