Author(s): RODRÍGUEZ-BARBERO, S., AGUDO-ORTEGA, A., MUÑOZ DE LA CRUZ, V., ALDA-BLANCO, A., VALERO, F., SALINERO, J.J., Institution: SPORT PERFORMANCE RESEARCH GROUP, UNIVERSITY OF CASTILLA-LA MANCHA, Country: SPAIN, Abstract-ID: 1378

INTRODUCTION:
Elite performance is influenced by long-term training and discipline-specific physiological demands (1, 2). Ageing is associated with progressive performance decline due to physiological and neuromuscular alterations (3). Therefore, this study quantified age-related performance decline across sprint, middle-, and long-distance events in Spanish male and female master athletes.
METHODS:
Official data from the “Spanish Association of Track and Field Statisticians*” were analysed. The all-time top 25 performances were extracted for sprint (100 and 400 m), middle-distance (800 and 1,500 m), and long-distance (5,000 and 10,000 m) events in spanish master athletes, grouped into five-year age categories ranging from 35 to 65 years. Data were analysed separately for male and female athletes, and official race performance time was used as the primary outcome variable.
Data are presented as mean ± SD. Percentage change in performance between consecutive age categories was computed to quantify age-related decline in men and women. A two-way ANOVA (age category × sex) was performed. Linear regression examined the association between age and performance separately in men and women.
RESULTS:
Performance time increased progressively with age in all events (p < 0.05). The magnitude of this increase differed by discipline and sex. In sprint events (100–400 m), men showed a relatively gradual increase across age categories (~2–6% per age category), whereas women demonstrated a more pronounced increase after 50 years, particularly in the 100 m (up to ~16% between 60–65). In middle- and long-distance events (800–10,000 m), performance time increased across all age groups, with larger percentage increases after 50 years. Women generally exhibited greater relative changes than men in the older categories.
ANOVA revealed significant effects of age, sex, and age × sex interaction across all events (all p < .001), indicating sex-specific ageing trajectories.
Regression analyses confirmed age as a strong predictor of performance (β = .870–.963; p < .001). Slopes were consistently steeper in women than for men (e.g., 100 m: +0.177 vs. +0.086 s·year⁻¹; 10,000 m: +29.19 vs. +20.12 s·year⁻¹).
CONCLUSION:
Performance decline was evident across all disciplines, with a steeper age-related deterioration in women. Lower historical female participation may partially influence these patterns. Additionally, sex-specific physiological, anthropometric and neuromuscular differences, together with menopause and age-related sarcopenia, may contribute to the amplified decline observed in female master athletes. These findings support sex-specific approaches when analysing ageing in competitive sport.
* https://www.aeeaatletismo.es/2025/08/28/ranking-de-espana-master-de-todos-los-tiempos/
1. Allen & Hopkins, 2015.
2. Haugen et al., 2018.
3. Till & Baker, 2020.