The Fastest Age

Connie, I was trying to make the point that your MD friend, if quoted correctly, wasn't making sense. First, I don't see how you can separate muscle physiology (mitochondria, myoglobin, etc.) from VO2max, giving credit to one but not the other. Second, I disagree (as would Maglischo and others) that swimming does not depend on VO2max, at least in distances of 200 or above. Third, he discounts technique, without which VO2max is useless, and swimming becomes the indiscriminate and inefficient application of force. Fourth, I do not believe that physiological adaptations to exercise remain 15 or 20 years later without training. We all know what happens when training is interrupted; Maglischo cites numerous studies showing loss of these adaptations when training stops. Do they lie dormant for decades, as Ion suggests, only to be "reawakened" years later? I doubt it. Technique is not a substitute for developing VO2max, but it's certainly not a New Age "let's feel good about ourselves" USMS concept as Ion seems to suggest. Former age groupers have an advantage over late starters, particularly if they've stayed in reasonable shape and are still healthy. But no, I don't believe that it's due to some dormant aspect of muscle physiology.

Connie, I was trying to make the point that your MD friend, if quoted correctly, wasn't making sense. First, I don't see how you can separate muscle physiology (mitochondria, myoglobin, etc.) from VO2max, giving credit to one but not the other. Second, I disagree (as would Maglischo and others) that swimming does not depend on VO2max, at least in distances of 200 or above. Third, he discounts technique, without which VO2max is useless, and swimming becomes the indiscriminate and inefficient application of force. Fourth, I do not believe that physiological adaptations to exercise remain 15 or 20 years later without training. We all know what happens when training is interrupted; Maglischo cites numerous studies showing loss of these adaptations when training stops. Do they lie dormant for decades, as Ion suggests, only to be "reawakened" years later? I doubt it. Technique is not a substitute for developing VO2max, but it's certainly not a New Age "let's feel good about ourselves" USMS concept as Ion seems to suggest. Former age groupers have an advantage over late starters, particularly if they've stayed in reasonable shape and are still healthy. But no, I don't believe that it's due to some dormant aspect of muscle physiology.