I’m so sad to read that this was your takeaway from the podcast this week! With the obvious caveat that I am not in my 70s, perhaps I can offer some thoughts based on what Chad said on the pod, some of the research and principles covered, and our approach here at TR.
From Coach Chad’s presentation it seems clear that there is no way for me to gain back lost strength or promote significant muscle growth, so I will always be as prone to injury as now and I won’t get faster either. Apparently, my only hope for maintaining any capacity is to take up weight lifting.
First, about what Chad shared. He started the section on aging with research specific to effects of aging on protein balance and muscle synthesis, which was admittedly disheartening, but importantly, covering research limited to aging, but that did not necessarily considering effects of training. This was a let’s-get-the-bad-news-out-of-the-way-first approach, but the good news aspect was that endurance training addresses the majority of age-associated decline in muscle function (e.g. mitochondrial function) and mass (e.g. anabolic resistance). In fact, low intensity activities like walking have been shown to be sufficient in addressing specific age-related declines. Endurance training does even more (improved mito function, decreased inflammation, increased capillarization/vasodilation and circulation, etc). Even better, adding simple nutritional interventions and resistance exercise compounds these positive effects. Ultimately, it was a very positive outlook on the powerful effects of training interventions. Chad is realist and will never sugar coat things. He aims to present a balanced, realistic viewpoint, but it can be hard to hear the positives after the negatives. The research suggests that combining endurance exercise, resistance training, and nutritional interventions is highly effective. Chad made the point that if forced to pick between endurance and resistance, resistance might be the more effective of the two, if considering each in isolation. But you don’t have to pick just one!
I really don’t like to believe that plasticity and strength are completely irretrievable as Coach Chad indicates.
Second, and more to your point, even the best research available isn’t fate. If you train, you absolutely can improve fitness and strength. We talked about this in light of other topics this week, but mechanistic studies by definition cannot take into account enough context to determine outcomes for any specific individual. Your own progress is all the proof you need. Moreover, there are many ways to improve that have little to do with muscle mass specifically: form, efficiency, handling, pacing, aerodynamics, mental toughness, resilience, etc. I think Chad actually made a compelling argument for plasticity, especially adaptations to endurance and resistance exercise and nutrition. (Again, I can understand how that might get lost in the broader context.)
As regards TR and using our data set to create plans for coming back from injury, there is too much variability in any given injury (e.g. one meniscus tear is not the same as another), let alone in the healing process from one individual to the next. We can’t assess things like your bike fit, your adherence to physical therapy, etc.
As regards TR using our data to address the needs of masters athletes, this is a big part of why we built AT. I personally dug into the research on endurance performance in older athletes. Consider, for example, how we would recommend a masters plan. How would we define an applicable age range? Women can experience menopause anywhere from their 30s to their 70s. An elite athlete at 70 could handle a higher training load than a sedentary beginner at 40. It wouldn’t make sense to say these plans apply to athletes 50+ or 60+, because age is only one factor. Then you can get into the weeds on the difference between chronological age and biological age. For all of these reasons, we come back to the individual: what works for you? Our goal with AT is to tailor a plan to you. This way we can serve a 65-year-old competitive athlete as well as a 50-year-old beginner athlete and challenge them each appropriately.
You make a great point regarding acute- versus long-term studies. This is a huge challenge in research. Your frustration resonates with me. Most studies are done on men and extrapolated to women based on body mass/weight. This is changing, thankfully, but women used to be purposely excluded as subjects due to the complicating factor of menstrual cycles. Science is fascinating and can be useful, but it rarely translates directly without deep consideration for individual context. We try very hard to convey this on the podcast, but it isn’t easy.
It sounds like injury has been a major hindrance for you. I echo much of the wonderful advice in this thread regarding physical therapy. I experience ongoing/intermittent knee pain due to damaged patellar cartilage. My orthopedic surgeon said the best thing to do for knee injuries is to strengthen the muscles around the knee. (He recommended cycling LOL.) Both cycling and resistance training can do that (regardless of age). Resistance training doesn’t have to mean weight lifting. Start with bodyweight exercises. Even better if you can work with a PT to develop a routine that will address your knee injury. Adding bodyweight resistance work to your training routine won’t be as disruptive as going straight to weightlifting. It will also give you a chance to dial in your form (another learning curve on which you can track progress). Many physical therapy practices are offering virtual sessions now, which might help! Another great resource on healing from injury is Injured Athlete’s Toolbox, which addresses more of the psychological challenges with injury.
I wish you the best. We do our best to empower and encourage folks, and it breaks my heart to hear negative takeaways. The feedback is nonetheless helpful. We really are in your corner, and I hope you can feel the support from the community here too. Would love to hear updates on your progress, if you’d be willing to share.
