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1494
AMOMENT WITH.. .
JOHN
BREWER
Running
fitness columnist John Brewer' s
running exploits
are not
nearly as
well known as those in
sports
science . We' re
hoping
to
change all
that :This month
,
John reflects on
age
. Do we have
a
'
best before date'
?
Should
we stop running when we hit a
certain mark? Actually
,
your
best
years
could be ahead of
you
read with interest that there are plans to scrap
'
best before
dates' on foods . To be honest , I have never been
their
biggest
fan - I prefer to work on the basis that
if
something
looks
,
smells and tastes
all
right ,
then it is still fit for
consumption
(
mine
,
not the cat' s
)
. So far I have never had any serious
repercussions as a result of this policy . It is one that
I tend to
apply
more
rigorously
if the food item has a high value
,
since I see its
consignment to the bin
(
or the cat
)
as money lost , rather than
health preserved.
As an exercise
physiologist ,
I know that we can apply
'
best
before'
(
or at least not quite so good after'
)
dates to runners
as well
.
Physiologically ,
we start to decline from our mid-20s
onwards
,
with inevitable decreases as a result of the ageing
process that include a reduction in maximum oxygen uptake ,and
a loss of muscle mass and strength . But fortunately for those of
us who don' t subscribe to best before dates
,
studies have shown
that regular training and exercise can certainly reduce the rate of
physiological
decline
,
albeit not halt it altogether . If we then factor
in the benefit of experience
,
I think that there is still a good chance
that many of us can continue to perform well - and beat a fair
number of those much closer to their BBDs - well into the latter
years of our running careers.
This was
brought
home to me recently at a five-mile race that I
entered . It was a large field of over 1 ,000 entrants , and extremely
well organised ,
with markers
identifying
where to line
up
at the
start
,
based on estimated finish time . I duly went to my allotted
position
,
and waited for the start gun . I then spent the next two
miles interspersing my running with side steps that Phil Bennett
would have been proud of
(
younger readers should refer to the
great Welsh Rugby Union team of the 1970s
)
, as I dodged out
98 RUNNING FITNESS AUGUST
2014
Horne brew
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John is professor of
sport at the University
of Bedfordshire . He
was previously director
of communications for
Lucozade
Sport and
before
that director of
the Lilleshall Sports
Injury and Human
Performance Centre
of the
way
of many runners who
had clearly over-estimated their own
ability
,
positioned themselves near
the front
,
and set off far too quickly.
I
would not go as
far as to
say
that
these were all younger runners
they most certainly
were not - but
pacing
and a sensible race strategy
is something that comes with
experience , and can help to
shave
seconds or even minutes off a finish
time.
When I scanned the final results
,
it was clear that the top third of
the field was highly populated with
'
veteran' runners , valiantly defying
the
ageing
process and using experience
and guile to record triumphs over
their
younger
rivals . This also shows
that for anyone
looking
to take up running later in life
,
their best
years could actually lie ahead of them . From a physiological
perspective ,
we are designed to exercise
,
yet if we have never
challenged this capacity , our bodies will not
have
responded
to the stimulus of
training ,
and adapted accordingly . Starting
exercise later in life can unlock innate potential
,
and stimulate
changes in the body that develop a level of fitness that has
never previously been experienced
. Of course
, seeking
suitable
advice is
important
if you have never run before
,
and building
up gradually is vital .But running is a sport that
accommodates
all
ages
and all abilities
,
and it is never too late to start . And if
"
Starting
exercise later
in life can unlock
innate
potential
,
and stimulate
changes in the
body
"
you are a life-long
,
committed runner
,
there is every chance
that
you
will
offset much
of
the
inevitable decline that occurs as a
result of ageing . Indeed
,
I think it is certainly fair to say that when
it comes to runners - and running
-
we are
all
best
before we
reach the finish-line
,
and there is no need to consign our training
shoes to the bin for
many years
to come . 0
Follow
John
on Twitter
@sportprofbrewer
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