"Old" Data
As we go through the data, the key thing to keep in mind is that this is not a longitudinal study, where the same individuals are followed over a number of years. So you're comparing subjects with each other, and each brings their own individual variability (years cycling, racing level, variable training status, etc.) to the study that can affect the comparisons.
Moderate relationships between age and:- Decreased maximal power during ramp test, 30 W (7 percent) per decade.
- Decreased mean power output during TT, 24 W (7 percent) per decade.
- Decreased maximal heart rate (8 beats per minute, 4 percent) and mean HR during the TT (7 bpm, 3.8 percent) per decade.
- Slight but significant decrease in cadence (3 revolutions per minute, 3.1 percent) per decade.
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These decreases match the popular consensus of what happens with aging—a gradual and fairly linear decline in most physiological and performance measures of 5 to 10 percent per decade after 30.
The interesting finding is what did not change with age—namely no change in mean power output or mean HR during TT relative to maximal levels during the graded test. This indicates that you can still push just as hard, relative to your maximal capacity, as you age. This was supported by the significant relationship between maximal power output during the graded test and mean power output during the TT.
In other words, as an individual cyclist, the higher your ceiling of fitness, the higher your TT wattage. However, as your age, you generally decrease both your maximal ceiling and your mean TT wattage at an even rate. This same finding holds for your heart rate response too.
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Summary
So I guess we're seeing a bit of good news / bad news scenario here. The bad news is that the fountain of youth is still elusive. The good news is that, despite this gradual decline, we're still able to peg it as close to our limit as we could while younger. And for many of us, it's pushing ourselves hard that makes cycling fun.
As for myself, I would definitely say that I'm enjoying riding and racing more than ever before. I'm still mixing it up in the club hammer sessions. I'm riding on much nicer equipment now than what was available (or what I could afford as a poor starving grad student). I get to share my joy of cycling with our two boys, and I have the perspective of enjoying cycling as a lifelong activity that the young 'uns just don't have.
So forget the bad news of this article. Feel the thrill of pushing yourself to your limit, and enjoy your ride today and every day!
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