A Swedish study that lasted 47 years at the Karolinska Institute has revealed how fitness, strength, and muscle endurance change during adulthood.
The results showed that physical capacity begins to decline from the age of 35, but it also confirmed that there is no age too late to start exercising.
The study, conducted as part of the Swedish Physical Activity and Fitness Study project, followed hundreds of randomly selected men and women aged between 16 and 63 years. The results were published in the "Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle", and provided new insights into how physical capability changes over time.
The results showed that fitness and strength begin to gradually decline from the age of 35, and deterioration increases with age, regardless of exercise intensity. However, the good news came from participants who started physical activity in adulthood, where researchers noticed improvements of 5 to 10% in their physical capabilities.
Maria Westerståhl, a lecturer in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and the lead author of the study, said: "It's never too late to start moving. Our study shows that physical activity can slow down performance decline, even if it can't completely stop it."
The study continues, as participants who will turn 68 next year will be examined, with the aim of linking changes in physical capacity to lifestyle, health, and biological mechanisms.
