During our conversation with Dr. Bubbs on the SMM Podcast (available on Spotify or Apple Podcasts), he emphasized that once athletes hit age 40, they need to work harder to avoid losing muscle mass. We just came across a story from Polar that covers some optimistic findings on a related topic: “Endurance Training and Aging.” According to Polar, your fitness journey is a multi-decade arc where training significantly flattens the curve of decline. The first three to five years of training often yield a rapid surge in VO2 max as you close the gap to your genetic potential. This is followed by a building decade where improvements can come from metabolic efficiency and structural resilience, rather than raw power. Even if you start late, research confirms your body retains plasticity, allowing for significant percentage increases in VO2 max well into your 40s or 50s. For lifelong athletes, consistent training slows the rate of physiological decline to nearly half that of sedentary peers, primarily by preserving Maximal Cardiac Output, or Qmax. While your legs are busy mastering that efficiency, your mind is reaping rewards too. A recent report titled “Aerobic Exercise Makes The Brain Younger, Scientists Just Can’t Explain Why” highlights that consistent movement can actually reverse brain aging. The study found that adults who committed to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week showed brains that appeared about seven months younger on structural scans after just one year.

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