Lifelong Athletes Halve VO2max Decline to 5.5% per Decade
Updated
Updated · ScienceBlog.com · Aug 20
Lifelong Athletes Halve VO2max Decline to 5.5% per Decade
2 articles · Updated · ScienceBlog.com · Aug 20
Summary
A 1990 longitudinal study found 15 master endurance athletes lost VO2max at 5.5% per decade, versus 12% for 14 sedentary men over about eight years.
The gap suggests age-related aerobic decline reflects both biology and reduced activity, with training preserving more cardiovascular function even though it does not stop losses entirely.
Broader evidence still shows decline accelerates with age: the FRIEND registry put average VO2max loss near 9% per decade, while some cohorts saw drops exceed 20% after age 70.
A 2022 review linked training volume to much of the variation in decline—54% among men and 39% among women—while studies of lifelong athletes in their 80s showed far higher reserve, not immunity.
The evidence is strongest that aerobic decline is modifiable rather than fixed at one universal rate, though the headline half-rate result came from a small male sample.