In their forties, they are still part of the elite of world sport. But what still makes LeBron James +dunker+ or throw Mélina Robert-Michon at an age when many top athletes have already retired?
The American LeBron James celebrated his fortieth birthday on Monday and remains at a stratospheric level with the Lakers. “LeBron James, he is extraordinary. He is still dominant because he was ultra-dominant,” explains Adrien Sedeaud, sports science researcher at Insep, to AFP.
As for everyone, the physical performance curve of high-level athletes progresses to a peak and then goes back down depending on age. The shape of this curve is not the same depending on the disciplines.
But for those who remain at the top after their thirties, underlines the researcher, “if we trace their individual curve, at 25 years old, they were monstrous”.
A bit like gym super star Simone Biles, who challenged space again this summer at the Paris Games, winning three gold medals at the age of 27. Which constitutes a performance in a discipline where people in their twenties often reign. “She has such an exceptional level that she can continue,” believes the researcher.
In tennis, the American Serena Williams played until she was forty, the Swiss Roger Federer played his last singles tournament at almost 40 at Wimbledon. At 45, Mélina Robert-Michon, standard bearer of the French team for the Paris Olympics, participated this summer in her 7th Olympic discus final. And despite a disappointing 12th place, this mother of two assured that she wanted to continue her career.
Her route inevitably brings to mind the French cyclist Jeannie Longo, world time trial champion in 2001 at the age of 43, and with an impressive track record.
Author of the book “Master Athlete, training and performing after 40 years, 50 years and over”, Romuald Lepers, researcher at the University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, also explains that “athletes who have a long career at constant level are exceptions.
He also notes that the “playing experience” of an athlete, in a team sport for example, who can accumulate more than 25 years of practice at the age of 40, also counts in the equation.
At 43, Spanish driver Fernando Alonso has made 400 Formula 1 Grand Prix starts. “We are no longer simply focusing on physical components”, notes Adrien Sedeaud, but also on “experience”, “ability having competed multiple times”, “knowledge of the circuits (…)”
There are also “all the new methods in terms of recovery, care” which allow “marginal gains” and which can also make it “last a few more years longer than 10-20 years ago”, deciphers for the ‘AFP Romuald Lepers.
Hot baths, cold baths, cryotherapy, individualized physiotherapy monitoring, modulation of training loads, use of data to optimize recovery after injury, all these methods provide a plus.
Some, like Novak Djokovic, have their personalized recipes: gluten elimination and meditation, among others. At 37, the Serbian became Olympic champion this summer and is still in 7th place in the ATP rankings.
LeBron James also has a strict lifestyle. “You don’t find him in nightclubs after victories!”, recalls Adrien Sedeaud.
If you need exceptional qualities to stay at a high level for a long time, you also need to avoid injuries. “The sooner an athlete is injured, the more he will unfortunately jeopardize his chances of a very long career,” explains the Insep researcher. At 38 years old, and after a litany of injuries over 20 years, Rafael Nadal, extraordinary champion, has just put his racket away.
