Low energy times ahead? (Part one)

As I grow old, I can now notice that my energy seems to be decreasing. Even though the step down I felt this year was noticeable, I assume this follows pretty much a declining VO2Max. 

In fact it has to correlate with a decline in physiological capacity, something that could be expressed in watts to give us a tangible, almost mechanical lens on human vitality. While VO₂ max is the gold standard for aerobic capacity, power output in watts—especially in cycling—gives a direct measure of how much work the body can do. 

When we look at the relation between Age vs. Power output express in Watts, most of the available data comes from cycling performance, particularly “Functional Threshold Power” (FTP), which is the maximum wattage a person can sustain for about an hour. The study I’ve been looking at seems unfortunately based on male subjects only. 

Our peak power output typically occurs between ages 25–35, after that, there's a gradual decline, roughly in the amount of 1–2% per year after age 40. As we might expect, this trend picks up speed slightly after age 60, depending on the individual’s training status. The table illustrating this takes us all the way up to 99 years of age and gives us a sobering view of what to expect as we navigate the 70 to 80 threshold and beyond. 

Tomorrow we’ll try to examine how that somber reality translate as we become “more mature”...