Masters Athletes

...a couple of unexpected findings

Hirofumi Tanaka, PhD, is Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin

Tanaka’s research focuses on vascular aging, and he has studied Masters Athletes and other older adults who compete in a variety of exercise and athletic pursuits.

The following are highlights from a recent conversation with Dr. Tanaka.

Your research is wide-ranging – from arterial stiffness to obesity to cognitive dysfunction.  But all these areas appear to center on Masters Athletes.

Tanaka began by explaining that many observers believe that Masters Athletes have been competing their entire lives.

Not so. He said that most Masters competitors have not been participating in track and field, swimming, and other activities since they were tots.

It’s certainly true that one group were high school competitors.  But they quit for 40-50 years in order to focus on other aspects of their lives, presumably career and family.  Now they have returned to Masters Games.

But most Masters Athletes discovered exercise only after retiring. (Just like many Age-defying Athletes did!)

Late life discovery of sports certainly apply to the track and field athletes Tanaka interviewed at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden (overviewed in this blog a few weeks ago), as well as to US Masters Swimming participants.

Research conducted by you and your team explores vascular aging, and its impact on Masters Athletes.  What have you found in these elite competitors that may be applicable to non-elite men and women who play sports in later life?

There is a vascular condition, he said, that could be a biological barometer of aging.  This is arterial stiffening.

According to a 2023 article in Clinical Hypertension, “Arterial stiffness refers to the reduced ability of an artery to expand and contract in response to pressure changes…Arterial stiffness and hypertension are closely related in pathophysiology…Stiffened arteries struggle with [blood pressure] changes, raising systolic [blood pressure] and pulse pressure. The resulting increased systolic pressure further hardens arteries, creating a harmful cycle of inflammation and calcification. Arterial stiffness data can predict target organ damage and future cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients…” 

In researching Masters Athletes, Tanaka has discovered that they do not demonstrate age-related arterial stiffening.  This is a great testimony to the power of exercise and athletics in minimizing or preventing this vascular condition.

As far as a biological barometer of age, this finding suggests that these older competitors are younger than their numbers reveal.

Even more great news is that arterial stiffening is reversible.  Tanaka notes that those who do have the condition, can turn it around it with exercise. 

He believes that most exercise programs work, but is especially supportive of swimming as a method of lessening or eliminating arterial stiffening.  Tanaka notes that a pool is a cool setting and thus is ideal in a hot and humid environment (such as central Texas).  Additionally, swimming is non-weight bearing so it’s easier on joints. 

Depending on the individual, continues Dr. Tanaka, swimming for three months might reverse arterial stiffening.  If that is ineffective, he advises the athlete to try a different exercise.

How is arterial stiffness testing conducted?

Tanaka described the methodology: Testing for arterial stiffening basically measures the pulse wave velocity of blood flow.  Sensors are placed on the skin on two different sides of the body, and the rate at which the pulse travels is measured from one point to the other.  The faster the movement, the stiffer the artery.

Tests are more readily available for this in south east Asia than in the US, says Tanaka.

Your website indicates that you look at both cognitive and physiological decline due to vascular aging.  What are some cognitive lessons learned?

Initial changes in vascular function (such as arterial stiffening) may lead to cognitive decline, according to Tanaka.  These vascular changes can be effective measures of early signs of dementia of all types, including Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Functional MRI is used to measure brain changes that can signify dementia. 

Brain changes are really tricky, however, as they don’t seem to be reversible with exercise.  That’s why an early focus on vascular function – as a preventative of cognitive decline – is important.

What is something about Masters Athletes that has surprised you?

While Masters Athletes get good bills of health related to arterial stiffening, they can develop atrial fibrillation (AF or afib).  Tanaka reports that AF is common in these Athletes. 

Coronary Computerized Tomography (CT) scans capture the amount of calcium deposits that can be the cause of AF.  Unexpectedly, Masters Athletes have higher plaque (calcium deposits). 

Scientists don’t know why elite older competitors experience this.

According to Tanaka, however, one hypothesis is that strenuous exercise may promote pain one or two days later.  This pain – think inflammation – disrupts the cell membranes that surround muscle fiber.  Because of this disruption, calcium ions leak, causing edema.  Calcium then may be deposited in the coronary artery as plaque.

Describe some of your findings about the pearl divers of Japan.

This tradition may have been practiced for two millennia.

The pearl divers (“ama” in Japanese) live in fishing villages along the Japanese coast.  That’s cold ocean water, with lots of waves. Nonetheless, these women dive 100-200 times a day to pick up oysters, other shellfish, octopi, seaweed.  (Sadly, pearls are all long gone…) 

Ama dive as deep as 10-20 meters, wearing just a face mask, with no breathing equipment.

About a decade ago, Tanaka began studying their vascular function. Divers’ average age then was 65, and they lived in four fishing villages.

This year was the tenth anniversary of that initial research.  Unfortunately, it was difficult to obtain official clearance to return to all four original villages for further study. Tanaka’s team only received approval from the Japanese government to look at one village.  But they hope to continue the research in 2025.

As conducted with the Masters Athletes, Tanaka and team are investigating the divers’ arterial stiffness.  Preliminary results show that the divers’ have less stiffness than a control group of women from the same fishing villages who, presumably, have similar diets.

Pearl diving is a dying art.  The divers today are in their mid-70s, and younger women aren’t plunging in to continue the historic practice.

WIIFY?

Keep at it! Live younger than your numerical age!

Keep walking, running, hiking, biking, jumping, playing games, swimming… As Dr. Tanaka has discovered, arterial stiffness and its halo effects can be prevented by regular exercise.

And while the connection between exercise and cognitive health merits further study, there is indication that keeping the lifetime pace of blood flow to the brain may deter or delay the onset of dementia.