By Rob Shaul
We’re interested in assessing the impact of training on long term durability and are asking older athletes to help.
Specifically, we want to know if there are any differences in long term non-contact injury rates, and common degenerative issues, based on long-term fitness training types with the following emphasis:
- Strength
- Endurance
- Multi-Modal
Some of the general questions we have include:
- Do long term powerlifters or olympic lifters suffer fewer non-contact ACL injuries, but greater incidences of low back issues than long-term endurance athletes and people who train mostly multi-modal fitness?
- Do long term endurance athletes have greater knee degenerative issues later in life (knee arthritis) from all the volume?
- Do people who train multi-modal fitness primarily (a mix of strength, endurance, and work capacity) have lower incidences of common degenerative issues (knee arthritis, low back issues) than endurance athletes and long term strength athletes?
In an ideal world, we would take 20 older athletes (40-60) athletes from each general type (strength, endurance, multi-modal) and complete a thorough medical exam including medical history, X-rays, MRIs, and then compare results.
Short of that, we hope to ask older athletes (age 40-60) from the MTI Community injury questions and use their answers to gain some insight into these questions.
Want to help?
First … you need to be 40-60 years old.
Second, you need to have been consistent in your fitness training for 20+ years.
Third, you need to be able to categorize yourself based on training emphasis – strength, endurance, or multi-modal.
Specifically, looking back on your fitness life, you need to be able to state that at least 2/3 of your fitness training fits cleanly into one of the three categories.
So, if you’re 40-60 years old, have been consistently training for 20+ years, and can clearly state that at least 2/3 of your training over the years has been in either strength, endurance, or multi-modal – you qualify to answer our questions:
Age?
Years of Consistent Fitness Training?
Training Category (at least 2/3 of your fitness training over the years)
-
- Strength
- Endurance
- Multi-Modal
Major Non-Contact Physical Injuries. Please include injury and age.
Common Degenerative Issues You’re Currently Experiencing?
Here are my answers to the above questions:
Age?
52
Years of Consistent Fitness Training?
38
Training Category (at least 2/3 of your fitness training over the years)?
Multi-Modal
Major Non-Contact Physical Injuries. Please include injury and age?
(1) Subtalar Fusion in the Right Foot, Age 50
(2) Left Hip Replacement, Age 52
Common Degenerative Issues You’re Currently Experiencing?
(1) Knee Arthritis, both knees – started when I was 44 and fairly severe now. Knee pain limits my ability for loaded and unloaded deep squatting movements. Possible after a long warm up, but not before.
(2) Lumbar Disc Compression at L4/L5 which limits strength loading and other activity from time to time despite extensive chassis integrity and core training. Like the knees, often begins stiff/sore, but losses up.
(3) Constant right foot/ankle arthritis/pain related to foot subtalar fusion surgery/complications.
Want to help?
Please send an email to rob@mtntactical.com and answer the above questions. Again, we can use your help if …
- You’re 40-60 years old
- You’ve been consistently training for 20+ years
- At least 2/3 of your training can be categorized as strength emphasis, endurance emphasis, or multi-modal.
Thanks!