Testing a Model of Successful Aging on Masters Athletes and Non-Sporting Adults.

Purpose: To test confirmatory factor analyses of successful aging composed of physical, psychological, cognitive, and social functioning factors in masters athletes (n = 764) and non-sporting adults (n = 404), and compare the physical, psychological, cognitive, and social functioning of masters athletes versus non-sporting adults. Method: Self-reported cross-sectional data were analyzed with confirmatory factor analyses. Results: Physical, psychological, cognitive, and social functioning latent factors significantly loaded onto a higher-order successful aging latent factor (p < .05). Masters athletes had higher physical and social functioning than non-sporting adults (p < .05). Psychological and cognitive functioning did not differ between groups. Conclusions: Successful aging should be considered as a multi-faceted construct consisting of different domains of functioning for both masters athletes and non-sporting adults. Masters athletes were aged successfully relative to the non-sporting adults across the physical and social functioning domains. Physical, psychological, cognitive, and social functioning domains constitute an appropriate model to use in future experimental research investigating the effect of masters sport for successful aging.

Masters Athletes: Exemplars of Successful Aging?

Global population aging has raised academic interest in successful aging to a public policy priority. Currently there is no consensus regarding the definition of successful aging. However, a synthesis of research shows successful aging can be defined as a late-life process of change characterized by high physical, psychological, cognitive, and social functioning. Masters athletes systematically train for, and compete in, organized forms of team and individual sport specifically designed for older adults. Masters athletes are often proposed as exemplars of successful aging. However, their aging status has never been examined using a comprehensive multidimensional successful aging definition. Here, we examine the successful aging literature, propose a successful aging definition based on this literature, present evidence which suggests masters athletes could be considered exemplars of successful aging according to the proposed definition, and list future experimental research directions.

The construct and longitudinal validity of the basketball exercise simulation test.

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the recently developed Basketball Exercise Simulation Test (BEST). Ten semiprofessional (age, 22.7 ± 6.1 years; height, 189.6 ± 9.5 cm; weight, 86.5 ± 18.7 kg; % body fat, 14.7 ± 3.5%) and 10 recreational (age, 26.6 ± 4.0 years; height, 185.9 ± 7.9 cm; weight, 92.6 ± 8.4 kg; % body fat, 23.8 ± 6.3%) male basketball players volunteered for the study. The participants completed a Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (Yo-Yo IRT) and BEST trial midway through the playing season. Eight participants (semiprofessional, n = 4; recreational, n = 4) completed an additional Yo-Yo IRT and BEST trial at the end of the playing season. Performance measures from the BEST included sprint decrement (%), mean sprint and circuit time (seconds), and total distance covered (m). Construct validity was calculated using Student's unpaired t-tests to identify the differences in Yo-Yo IRT and BEST performances between playing levels. Longitudinal validity was determined based on the relationship between changes (%) in Yo-Yo IRT1 and BEST performances across the season. Semiprofessional players performed significantly (p < 0.01) better in the Yo-Yo IRT (1,283 ± 62 vs. 636 ± 297 m) and BEST (mean sprint time: 1.45 ± 0.01 vs. 1.65 ± 0.03 seconds; mean circuit time: 18.98 ± 1.79 vs. 22.72 ± 2.01 seconds; sprint decrement: 8.54 ± 0.15 vs. 15.38 ± 0.27%) compared with recreational players. For the group as a whole, a strong relationship was evident between the changes in BEST sprint decrement and changes in Yo-Yo IRT performance (R = -0.815, p = 0.014) across the season. In conclusion, the BEST displayed both discriminative and longitudinal validities and provides a novel match-specific fitness test for basketball players.

The effects of wearing lower-body compression garments during endurance cycling.

PURPOSE: The present investigation examined the physiological and performance effects of lower-body compression garments (LBCG) during a one-hour cycling time-trial in well-trained cyclists. METHODS: Twelve well-trained male cyclists ([mean+/-SD] age: 20.5+/-3.6 years; height: 177.5+/-4.9 cm; body mass: 70.5+/-7.5 kg; VO2max: 55.2+/-6.8 mL.kg(-1).min(-1)) volunteered for the study. Each subject completed two randomly ordered stepwise incremental tests and two randomly ordered one-hour time trials (1HTT) wearing either full-length SportSkins Classic LBCG or underwear briefs (control). Blood lactate concentration ([BLa-]), heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2) and muscle oxygenation (mOxy) were recorded throughout each test. Indicators of cycling endurance performance were anaerobic threshold (AnT) and VO2max values from the incremental test, and mean power (W), peak power (W), and total work (kJ) from the 1HTT. Magnitude-based inferences were used to determine if LBCG demonstrated any performance and/or physiological benefits. RESULTS: A likely practically significant increase (86%:12%:2%; eta2=0.6) in power output at AnT was observed in the LBCG condition (CONT: 245.9+/-55.7 W; LBCG: 259.8+/-44.6 W). Further, a possible practically significant improvement (78%:19%:3%; eta2=0.6) was reported in muscle oxygenation economy (W.%mOxy(-1)) across the 1HTT (mOxy: CONT: 52.2+/-12.2%; LBCG: 57.3+/-8.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The present results demonstrated limited physiological benefits and no performance enhancement through wearing LBCG during a cycling time trial.