Discus and javelin throwers likely to achieve their best performances at a later age

American athlete Tom Brady has done the seemingly impossible, winning his seventh Super Bowl at the age of 43 in spectacular fashion. He’s joined by stellar company: At 39, Serena Williams has won 23 grand slams, one of them while pregnant. The reasons for age-defying athletic performances are dependent on numerous factors, including diet, but a new study by Iranian and University of South Australia researchers shows that when it comes to track and field events, the age when athletes peak often depends on the sport. Discus and javelin throwers as well as marathon runners and race walkers are likely to achieve their best performances at a later age than sprinters, hurdlers and middle-distance runners. Why? It comes down to muscle fibers and technique. UniSA Executive Dean of Allied Health and Human Performance, Professor Roger Eston, says that the number, type (fast twitch or slow twitch muscle fiber) and size of muscles required for different sports is one of the main biological reasons for these differences. In a paper published in the European Journal of Sport Science, Prof Eston says that pace, endurance, power and strength are affected by age to a different extent. Legs experience maximum growth before the…
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