Why are the male masters runners so muscular?

The best masters runners are those who biologically sustain higher T levels as they age. They got a luck endocrine system. They look muscular bc of this compared to standard masters-age people.

This is a hypothesis -- just conjecturing.

DC Wonk wrote:

He didn't cheat -- has a long list of races in the past three years, with some good times, but really, do you think this guy at 50+ looks normal?

http://club.runthrough.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/GG-4.jpg

Harambe wrote:

The best masters runners are those who biologically sustain higher T levels as they age. They got a luck endocrine system. They look muscular bc of this compared to standard masters-age people.

This is a hypothesis -- just conjecturing.

Many of the guys I used to race against in my 20s are more muscular at 50+ then they were 30 years ago. Maybe it’s less volume more weight lifting?

I don't know anything about low t or dirty athletes. Here's what I do know. 50+ 800m runners:

Do low mileage

Lift weights

Start with hill sprints

Run race pace intervals often (when fit enough)

Easy on easy days, hard on hard days

If something doesn't feel right, stop, don't do it.

It's better to be undertrained and healthy, than pushing yourself to the limits. No one is bouncing back from a torn calf or hamstring at 50+.

Because they know that strength training and maintaining muscle is the key to being fast and being able to train hard without injury... otherwise they wouldn’t be able to train at that age period.

Some of you 115lb twigs who calorie count every bite and spend half the year out with IT band issues because you’re too afraid to strength train and “bulk” ? should take note.

Jacx wrote:

Because they know that strength training and maintaining muscle is the key to being fast and being able to train hard without injury... otherwise they wouldn’t be able to train at that age period.

Some of you 115lb twigs who calorie count every bite and spend half the year out with IT band issues because you’re too afraid to strength train and “bulk” ? should take note.

+1

In high school, I was 5'8 and 115-120 ibs. Always injured and never could train hard. Since than I've put on a good 20-25 ibs. Now I haven't dealt with any real injuries since when I was in high school and can train much harder, than I could ever do in high school.

It's because they train in a more well rounded manner and have old man strength.

I'm one of them.

T is not allowed.

+1 wrote:

....

I was 5'8 and 115-120 ibs. Always injured and never could train hard. Since than I've put on a good 20-25 ibs. Now I haven't dealt with any real injuries since ...

Better thread. Why are most good Masters runners short? I'm always getting beat by these 5'8" tanks.

tall skinny Masters runner said: Why are most good Masters runners short? I'm always getting beat by these 5'8" tanks.

I'm 60, and I'm speculating a hypothesis, because I have also noticed the same thing and have wondered about this.

1. as discussed above, age affects the type of training that you do. many Masters run a lot less and use the gym a lot more than runners half their age. I remember one guy who broke the world indoor mile record in his age group last year said he ran only every third day. but he was a very finely muscled guy and looked more like a discus thrower than a runner because he does a LOT of weights and circuit training. other good Masters athletes train in a similar way.

2. this sort of training is easier to do in sufficient quantity to be competitive if you adhere to a basic height/weight ratio. I'm not claiming to know what the number is but if you are too tall your limbs tend to be longer and you have to move the weights through a greater range on longer levers. if you are too short you are not moving the weights far enough to maximise the benefits but at a certain height and lever length you get maximum benefit for the effort required.

3. therefore, the guys who are the right size and do the right training will succeed. taller guys, like me and you, have to suck it up and hope the other guys die off first.

cheers.

As a 60 yr. old who has no idea his T - levels, I lift now so that my body staves off losing a lot of testosterone. Lifting weights or doing other strength-training workouts has a marked effect. Lift heavier weights rather than doing many reps of light weights. And probably as big a reason - I live sub tropical and hate wearing a shirt.

Jacx wrote:

Because they know that strength training and maintaining muscle is the key to being fast and being able to train hard without injury... otherwise they wouldn’t be able to train at that age period.

Some of you 115lb twigs who calorie count every bite and spend half the year out with IT band issues because you’re too afraid to strength train and “bulk” ? should take note.

I've always suspected that this was reason.

Aging muscles and connective tissue just isn't as healthy and robust as it once was. It helps quite a bit to build it up to a level and mass that can sustain the training. The ones who have it are able to continue running. So it's natural selection of sorts.

I think it's that and the fact that weight and mass naturally gets added onto one's frame as we age so it seems to be that master runners just are bulkier than their younger counterparts.

Men put on some muscle as they age, to a point, if they exercise. I think it has to do with slowing metabolism. Just a guess.

Proper diet can help with testosterone levels, too.

Lifting makes up aging of the muscles to some degree. That is my guess. I don't think lifting helps much when in 20 and early 30s because there is a ceiling effect as to how much strength helps running. You really don't need that much and if you're just naturally strong, you probably don't need strength training. But for older runners, old dying muscles are enhanced by lifting weights. This is just my guess.

I have a friend who got more into lifting weight after turning masters for fitness and not for running performance. He is more jacked now than when he was in his prime. He just ran 1:24 half at 64. I don't think he is even training 1/3 the intensity and the miles that he used to in his prime.

Oatmeal and dates wrote:

I’m considering trying to become competitive in the 50+ age category for mid distance. I just watched the masters world indoor championships, and it appears me the men are very muscular for their age. I understand many of the guys will be lifting as well as running. What I’d like to know is, are many of the guys on T? I know low T is a thing now and easy to get. I don’t want to go that route, but if everyone is on T does a “clean” athlete have a chance. Of course like everyone, avoiding injury is the main talent at this age. I’m sure T helps with this also.

Any masters athletes have any experience with this?

I don't know of any Masters/Grandmasters competitors in the Master's club that I belong to that are using TRT (or at least admitting to it). However, most of these guys are thin as a rail and built more like Whitlock . OTOH, at the gym I lift at it's a whole different story as there are a lot of middle-agers on TRT.

They make no bones about it and several over the years have given me the business cards of the low-T center they use trying to promote it. These guys are pretty muscular, lift like madmen, recovery like 20 yr olds and can be aggressive & hostile at times. I've met a few Masters triathletes over the years at the gym that said they were using it and commented how their recovery was off the charts.

Here's an interesting report on the surge of TRT with middle-agers:

70 yr old doctor on both T & HGH. Unbelievable! - looks old in the face but the body is incredible! If you're a Senior you are not going to get that kind of a body just "lifting and eating healthy."

https://youtu.be/C2MRdHshj10

The simplest answer is that runners, like everyone, add bulk with age. Fast, thick old guys used to be VERY fast, thin young guys. And the few geezers running truly great times are still thin.

I’m 59, have never taken T or any other banned substance. Have great skin, strong muscles and my cardiologist told me I have the heart of a 20 year old athlete. Some of us are genetically blessed.

Clean buff stud wrote:

I’m 59, have never taken T or any other banned substance. Have great skin, strong muscles and my cardiologist told me I have the heart of a 20 year old athlete. Some of us are genetically blessed.

That's not fair to some of us who were at the back of the line when anti-aging genetics were handed out. ?

Most of us used to be that 5'8 130 guy, but as you age you gain some weight, and yes if you are going to remain even slightly competitive past 40 you have to do more than run. Also I noticed that a number of the guys that were small and slight in their teens up to their twenties are bulked up (not fat) in their 40's on, so it's not just runners.

In HS and college I was always 130-135 lbs, now the thinnest Ive been since age 40 is 145. I was only able to do that during a big marathon training block.

Yes yes yes, I know someone will say "But but what about Ed Whitlock??" There was just one EW , there are few people born with the build and ability to run like that.