How does triathlon training affect your biological age?
Evidence suggests preparing for triathlon racing slows ageing
It’s widely known that regular exercise prolongs life but science has even better news for multisporters: triathlon training lowers your biological age even further.
A 2018 study concluded that competitive triathletes who averaged 10 hours of training a week were ageing less slowly than recreationally active men doing three hours weekly. Researchers from the Institute of Sligo Technology found that the more active group had longer telomeres. These DNA sequences cap off the end of chromosomes and prevent damage as cells divide. Because they shorten every time this happens, scientists use telomere length as an indicator of biological ageing.
Fitter equals young for longer?
The authors of the study into the ‘Effects of Competitive Training on Telomere Length’ also detected positive relationships between VO2 max, lactate threshold speed, running economy and telomere length. They cautioned that they couldn’t differentiate between correlation and causation. Other studies have however observed that such variables improve in step with exercise intensity and volume. In other words, better fitness and slower ageing appear to go hand in hand.
The Irish researchers said that they are not alone in finding that exercise can slow cellular ageing by reducing the rate of telomere contraction. Several separate studies have concluded that endurance sport (not limited to running, cycling and swimming) has the same effect. What’s more, people who exercise often lower their likelihood of heart disease by 50% and add at least three years to their life.
But some evidence points to an inverted U-shaped curve relationship between exercise and ageing. This would suggest moderate levels of intensity and volume are more beneficial than low and high amounts.
Given the competitive athletes in this study trained 10 hours a week on average compared to three hours in the recreational group, they could fall into the moderate category. It’s also possible the study wasn’t long enough to examine long-term effects.
Nonetheless, it seems likely that triathlon training not only improves our fitness and health, but lowers our biological age. Read more about how to train as a triathlete as you get older.
Jack Evans
