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Keep riding to stave off aging (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 by Chris Juden:Flickr)Cycling in your 80s can mean having the immune system of a 20-year-old
Add it to the list: cycling also helps rejuvenate your immune system, according to a recent study.
The BBC reports on research published in the journal Aging Cell which found that some long distance cyclists in their 80s had the immune systems of 20-year-olds.
A separate study, published in the same journal, found that cyclists preserved muscle mass and strength with age while maintaining stable levels of body fat and cholesterol.
Professor Norman Lazarus, 82, of King's College London, who took part in and co-authored the research, said: "If exercise was a pill, everyone would be taking it. It has wide-ranging benefits for the body, the mind, for our muscles and our immune system."
Cycling 'slows ageing' – study
The immune system study followed 125 amateur cyclists over the age of 55 and compared them with healthy adults from a wide age group who did not exercise regularly. The latter group comprised 75 healthy people aged 57 to 80, and 55 young adults aged 20 to 36.
The male cyclists had to be able to cycle 100km in under 6.5 hours while women had to cover 60km in 5.5 hours.
An organ called the thymus makes immune cells called T-cells. While it normally starts to shrink from the age of 20, the thymuses of older cyclists were found to be generating as many T-cells as those of young individuals and far more than inactive people of a similar age.
Professor Janet Lord, director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, at the University of Birmingham, and co-author of the research, said: "The immune system declines by about 2-3% a year from our 20s, which is why older people are more susceptible to infections, conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and, potentially, cancer.
"Because the cyclists have the immune system of a 20-year-old rather than a 70- or 80-year-old, it means they have added protection against all these issues."
She added: "Our research means we now have strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer but not healthier."
Professor Stephen Harridge, director of the Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences at King's College London, commented: "The findings emphasise the fact that the cyclists do not exercise because they are healthy, but that they are healthy because they have been exercising for such a large proportion of their lives.
"Their bodies have been allowed to age optimally, free from the problems usually caused by inactivity. Remove the activity and their health would likely deteriorate."
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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16 comments
Last year I would have agreed that having less colds was down to excersising in old age, I'm eighty, and hadn't had a cold in ages, indeed my first 10 mile tt at 80 was on Boxing Day when I beat my vets age standard, not by by much but against expectations. January February and March however, this year 2018, I have managed three chest infections and three time trials, the tt's coming in between each cold. A 21 second failure in the first followed by two inside my standard had me back on an even keel. Hopefully my immune system has recovered enough to banish further colds but my confidence of last year, brought on by the news the older you get the more you resist colds , has been battered. I am more than pleased to still be out on the bike with the will to 'give it a go'. I find the vets standards a super incentive and consider just creeping inside very satisfying, I may just start to train and look for a bigger margin with 'marginal gains'.
Last week, a group of us went up Great Dun Fell - the UK's highest road and arguably one of its toughest climbs.
Amongst the group was a 76-year old lifelong cyclist who looks fitter than 95% of the 40-somethings you or I know. Fastest in the group did the climb in 36 minutes... Our septuagenarian did it in 45. I was dragging a 17kg tourer up the hill and that's my only excuse for taking 57 minutes!
I know another couple of gents in their 70's who still ride regularly and they are as fit and healthy as anyone I know.
I don't need any reasons to justify why I ride - I've been doing it for far too many years... But if I ever needed a good reason not to stop riding... Evidence like this would be one.
I keep to tracks and trails, be it mtb or cross bike and this generally means distances of up to 50miles. If I do go out on road bike its during the week and never around school collection time.
69 and hope to make 80!
Based on 'average twenty year olds' I'm not quite sure how great this might be after all.
I'm still closer to seventy than eighty (but only just). Here are my changes to help me keep going:
1) Keep to rail trails or bike paths.
2) Mixte frame for easy on and off.
3) Dropper post (KS Dropzone 75mm) - again to ease getting on and off.
4) Flat-soled MTB shoes (Specialized 2FO). The "sticky" dimpled rubber soles grip the flat pedals perfectly. I don't pull up on the pedals now (hardly ever did) and, after tens of thousands of kilometres cycling, my feet just land on the pedals in the correct place. Why risk a senior moment tumble?
Shimano make easy-release SPD cleats (SM-SH56) and pedals (Click'R). I used them as part of my exit strategy from using clip-in pedals.
Was round fixing an 82 year old friends bike on Wednesday. He had worn out a block and chain since September.
envy.
You can bike til ye die.
I hope I'm still here and cycling when 80.
I've long been convinced cycling has contributed to my never having had a day off school, university, or work due to illness - and while I'm not 80, that's still quite a few years of full health I've enjoyed and am grateful for.
Very good news. Incredible that the BBC have finally reported on the benefits of cycling.
Yes, this report and the item on the main news last night is good publicity for our sport. But I wouldn't recommend cycling 100km in open toed sandals like two of the riders in that photo!
Just as an FYI, I believe you can get SPD sandals - so apart from the draught, I'm not sure there is a problem really!
Shimano make them. They might not be the height of fashion but when London has a few of those scorching hot weeks that it sometimes has, they are very nice to have.
Good article. I hope I am still cycling at 80
(66 now and can easily do good distances averaging between 15 and 16mph)
the only downside is that every time you go out you rely on drivers not to seriously injure you or even kill you, as there are so many impatient drivers on our roads. It’s a bit of a lottery really IMO
Trouble is, when you get to a certain age you start to repeat yourself...
Getting to your 80s and still being able to ride a metric hundred, let alone in 6.5 hours, makes you unusually healthy in the first place and there is probably more to it than just regular cycling e.g. genes, socio-economic grouping, diet, luck! Not knocking the message though, I too hope I am still rolling out the miles in my eighties.
I, like Jimnm, am also currently in my 60s and firmly believe that cycling and the pleasure of cycling keeps me young
With regard to sandals, sandals + sealskin merino socks is a great touring option and more comfortable and durable than you might imagine.
Good article. I hope I am still cycling at 80
(66 now and can easily do good distances averaging between 15 and 16mph)
the only downside is that every time you go out you rely on drivers not to seriously injure you or even kill you, as there are so many impatient drivers on our roads. It’s a bit of a lottery really IMO
I feel the same Jimnm. Thats why I've embraced this "gravel biking" thing. Its so very much like we did as a kid. Riding the same bike over any terrain thats you come across. Just on a bike that can take the rough stuff better!
Thats one way to minimise the road risk and still get a good ride in.
I just bought a gravel bike at Christmas and have ridden it nearly every day. Love it. I can add 20 km of single track to my ride to work or home without any trouble and am having a great time.