What makes great Olympians (Part II)

Older athletes

At age 41, athlete Darra Torres won the Olympics 9 times as one of the female athletes participating in the oldest Olympics at the 2008 Summer Games. A professional athlete competes in the competition. 40s is not uncommon but rare. Torres - a sprinter - must rely heavily on technology as well as muscle strength rather than his ability to withstand the lack of air.

Torres was not the first to attend a 40-year-old fake. Carlos Lopes was also in his 40s when he won the marathon at the 1984 Olympics. New Zealand's Jack Foster was also in his 40s but also ranked High in the marathon in 1972 and the Olympic Games in 1976.

Why do some athletes continue to compete in the late 30s and early 40s?

Dr Joyner said: 'VO2 max usually starts to decline at the age of 30, but highly trained athletes can delay this decline until they are at the end of their 30s or even. Only in the early 40s. The average inactive person loses about 10% every decade starting from the age of 30, but only those who are able to maintain a strict exercise regime at the age of 40 or 50 only lose about 5%, it basically depends on whether they can maintain a tough exercise regime. '

'Older athletes need to redefine what normal aging is and what middle-aged or older athletes can do.'

Culture, not genetics

Dr Joyner said: 'No one can become a great athlete without intense exercise for a long time. When scientists search for genes and determinants to be effective, what they get is only zero. They have not discovered an important gene that says this gene regulates prize status. someone's champion or potential to win prizes'.

It is very difficult to detect doping if used in low doses.(Photo: bicycle.net)

"Sports are complex behaviors for biologists. Many genes contribute to expressiveness, but one cannot have the perfect combination of all genes to reach the peak of self-competition. course '.

Dr Joyner said: 'It would be a mistake to say that the Kenyan or Ethiopian advantage in long distance runs is genetic. There are actually periods that other countries dominate in this sport. Before World War I, Finns surpassed him. After World War II to Eastern European athletes. They also have superiority over the current Kenyan. '

Dr Joyner wants to talk about cultural influence in sports. 'I think what the Kenyans or the Ethiopians show is the value of the elevated regime. Naturally they are always agile all their lives; they live at high altitudes, they run to school and then run home, they play football after school - all activities are done at an altitude of 6,000 to 8,000 minutes. There is not much economic support there, so they must have great encouragement to run and train with high intensity '.

'What the Kenyan added is to practice high above, draconian training and a large number of motivated active people while their physiological parameters are no different from those of others. . I think we can make the same argument with Eastern European athletes after World War II. If you are a good athlete, the government and your family will suggest it as well as encourage you to practice in the same setting. '

Doping

'One of the sad things about sports in the last 30 years, is the pharmacological race or doping itself.'

It is difficult to get reliable tests on this illegal compound. Some recent studies show that steroids and erythropoietin (EPO) - a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells - can be tested. For example, for EPO testing, the test will not be effective unless done shortly after using EPO. EPO does not last long in the body. But its use can last up to several months.

One study found that it was difficult to detect athletes who used certain steroids by testing urine for several ethnic groups.

Dr Joyner said: 'Researchers have recently started testing tests and asking questions about the accuracy of the tests being used. They have shown that it is difficult to detect if not taking the test quickly after using the drug, especially when the athlete uses low-dose EPO. '

The most important thing is always movement

'Remember that while watching sports is very interesting and we are always attracted to the TV to watch the Olympics, but the really important thing is to go out and move. 150 minutes of physical activity each week is an extremely effective medicine that anyone can prescribe for themselves. Because no matter how strong your fitness level is, even if you're just walking, try to be physically active because it's a way to be healthier as you get older and enjoy life more. ' Dr. Joyner concluded.

What makes great Olympians (Part I)

What is blood doping?