Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Gerontology. 2017;63(5):488-494. doi: 10.1159/000477722. Epub 2017 Jun 15.
Demographics of human aging are rapidly changing. As illustrated in the biomedicalization of aging, an ever increasing number of older adults is affected by a variety of clinical conditions and diseases, including vascular stiffening, sarcopenia, physical disability, and poor quality of life. One population that is situated in the opposite end of the health and functional spectrum to the sedentary frail elderly is Masters athletes. These older competitive athletes are endowed with substantial functional capacity, overall long-term health, high motivation, and psychosocial outlook. Masters athletes are combating the dogma and negative stereotypes of older adults and aging. From the scientific standpoint, examining Masters athletes can provide insight into preventive gerontology, primary prevention of age-related diseases and dysfunctions, and exercise-based medical practices. Moreover, the study on Masters athletes is simply joyous and entertaining as they often remind us what can be possible in aging.
人口老龄化的结构正在迅速变化。如老龄化的生物医学化所表明的那样，越来越多的老年人受到各种临床疾病和病症的影响，包括血管僵硬、肌肉减少症、身体残疾和生活质量差。一个处于健康和功能状态与久坐体弱老年人相反极端的人群是 Masters 运动员。这些年长的竞技运动员拥有大量的功能能力、整体长期健康、高动力和社会心理展望。Masters 运动员正在与老年人和衰老的谬论和负面刻板印象作斗争。从科学的角度来看，研究 Masters 运动员可以深入了解预防老年学、预防与年龄相关的疾病和功能障碍、以及基于运动的医疗实践。此外，对 Masters 运动员的研究是非常愉快和有趣的，因为他们经常提醒我们在衰老中什么是可能的。
