Does Justin Gatlin age? How is he running sub 10s at almost 40?

He's naturally fast and efficient. Always has been.

Super Fans wrote:

His drug use past aside, would like to know what he's doing to keep going at this advanced age.

I got a chuckle out of that. I think you answered your own question.

asafa powell was actually busted for PEDs and was STILL losing a step with old age. no clue how gatlin is still trucking along regardless if he's using or not. still exceptional.

wonder if all of the (mandatory) years off helped at all.

He is on the good stuff!

but why are no others on the same good stuff?

not a single other old dude has access to the same sauce?

Bracketing drug issues, the answer is that athletes in general are simply more willing to continue attempting to perform at a high level into their late 30s and beyond, and we are finding out that the aging process is not as dramatically deleterious to performance as previously thought. Hell, 30 years ago, a guy still running at a high level at age *30* was ancient - Linford Christie and Carl Lewis were borderline geriatric.

Your testosterone doesn’t plummet when you hit 30 or 35. And, to the extent it does, you can (legally or illegally) manage it. Same with your growth hormone. Your muscle type distribution doesn’t get irrevocably altered at that age. Your CNS doesn’t come to a screeching halt.

If more guys *tried* to do what Gatlin or Kim Collins do/did - and were willing to make the lifestyle sacrifices that most dudes aren’t willing to make after 25 or 30 - we’d see more doing it successfully. Most dudes, even successful athletes, lose discipline as they reach their 30s. Family life can be an easy excuse for this.

The drug issues are boring to me but I’d be happy to discuss the mechanics of that if anyone wants to.

Isn't he like 60 by now? He must have super genetics. They should study his DNA and replicate it.

Gatlin is a confirmed doper - so there's no speculation why he continues to run fast times way into his late 30s. T-levels don't plummet in your 30s but starting at around age 30, T-levels start to decline at a rate of around 1% to 1.5% per year - which is significant for world class athletes. If you look at the top 10 all-time performers in the 100m, the average age their PB was set was 26. None of these guys are ran their PB at 33 like Gatlin did.

The 2019 WC was a complete joke. Gatlin takes the silver running 9.89 at age 37 losing to Coleman at age 23 (9.76) but beating De Grasse at age 24! Lol. When was the last time a sprinter over 35 medaled at either the WC or Olympics?

He has a lot of natural speed. You don't. And bodybuilding is the opposite of what is required. So what makes you an expert?

Let me guess, you and your bodybuilding buddies spend ages discussing the subject and you are all convinced you have it figured out?

Why is this even a discussion? Dope, dope, dope. Even if he's clean right now, he retains advantages from his previous doping. He may win next year, and some people will still shout USA! USA! USA! but it will be a gold as tainted as Ben Johnson's

Super Fans wrote:

The guy is crushing it with a recent sub 10 clocking and taking some scalps. Would love for Letsrun to interview him on their podcast. His drug use past aside, would like to know what he's doing to keep going at this advanced age.

Kim Collins running a PB 9.94 at age 40 opened the flood gates for older dudes to run elite times.

Felix Sanchez was almost 35 when he won the 400h in 2012.

what it is wrote:

He has a lot of natural speed. You don't. And bodybuilding is the opposite of what is required. So what makes you an expert?

Let me guess, you and your bodybuilding buddies spend ages discussing the subject and you are all convinced you have it figured out?

What a stupid, idiotic post!I played D-1 football and ran sprints in college waaaaay back in the late 70s/early 80s (probably before you were born. Lol). After college, did 10 yrs of competitve bodybuilding & powerlifting before transitioning to running for the next 25 yrs. Due to serious injuries & post-traumatic OA, I can't run any more and back to BB. I've seen what T can do to various athletes at different ages in different sports.

T is a powerful hormone. It's enhances protein synthesis, increases fat-free mass & strength, improves neuromuscular function which is good for explosive performance, aids in recovery, speeds up healing time with injuries, increases energy levels, etc. It will literally reverse aging with some of these athletes (if, of course, they maintain a high level of training and sound nutrition).

Gatlin runs his PB of 9.74 (5th fastest all-time) at age 33! He takes the silver at the 2019 WC at age 37! That's a complete joke - have you found any other sprinter over 35 that has medaled at the WC or Olympics?

You're the new movement of the younger generation that's seems content on defending dopers these days (it happens a lot on this site with confirmed dopers). He's a doper that should have gotten a lifetime ban on that 2nd pop.

Make no mistake, Powell would still be sub-10 were it not for the difficulties. He always has the chance of getting back there, but things are no longer totally unrestricted in JAM like kn the heyday of Dolt and Flake.

From personal experience, I went to way above 40 with only the tiniest of diminution. My sprints got slower only because life got in the way and reduced training, etc, and made me switch to more gym stuff—which skyrocketed as a result. Instead of being my fastest, I was by far my strongest when I was older, something I attribute to just a switch in training.

Now at 54 I am switching back to athletics. Strength down, speed up—but of course nowhere near as fast as 20-30 years ago. Something happened between 44-54: cosmic rays. Nobody is immune to them. Yes I am clean, but I am sure that even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been as good at 44 as I was at 24.

Same for Gatlin, I assume. He is still in the zone, but looking over the cliff, which will likely happen in the next 5 years. He has the advantage of a life dedicated to sprinting, so he might stretch it out late. Collins was ridiculous, I am sure that he quit because everyone knew it, and he got out while the gettin’ was good.

As for winning at 37 in the time he did, I could see it, with total dedication, on a level playing field.

Make no mistake I am sure test/hgh/igf will get you far. Maybe in the coming future we will see just how far.

Justin Griffith Joyner wrote:

Super Fans wrote:

His drug use past aside, would like to know what he's doing to keep going at this advanced age.

I got a chuckle out of that. I think you answered your own question.

There is actually zero evidence that Gatlin ever tried to cheat with drugs. His first offense was Nonsense! Unless he had an elaborate plan to start taking drugs at age 8 so as to throw off regulators at age 19, the first ban cannot be seen as an attempt to cheat. There are also many who believe his second ban was from sabotage as he claims. There is actually good evidence that supports this. He is one of the most tested athletes and unlike others, he doesn't miss tests or hide in his closet when they knock on his door.

Footballer Darrell Green was still running 4.4 at 40, Willie Gault can still motor at 50ish, Kim Collins sub10,00 after 40, Hell, I played in my last HS football alumni game at 41, no big deal.

Justin Gatlin is simply amazing, a case can be made that he is the greatest USA 100/200 sprinter ever. The drug thing, forget it, the guy was going to be great and it was very obvious, We saw it in high school, hell, started out a 300 hurdler.

One of fav Gatlin moments was an NCAA champs and Tennessee neded him to run a 4x4 leg, he came from way back to put the Vols in contention, split a 44.3.

Cat is a stud!

I am done with this topic. Too much ignorance. Even alleged bodybuilders seem to misunderstand this stuff.

Go Gatlin. I hope he inspires more athletes to keep competing past their early-mid 30s. Later, y’all.

You got it my friend only fools make a big deal out of the dug thing, OBVIOUSLY this guy was going tobe a stud only a blind man would fail to see that.

Former runner turned bodybuilder wrote:

have you found any other sprinter over 35 that has medaled at the WC or Olympics?

Allen Johnson.

That aside, I don’t trust Justin. But even forgetting the question of drugs, I think he may have saved some wear and tear with years he took off while banned that’s allowing him to still compete today.