GCSE Revision - Age and Gender in Sport

The fact that women rarely compete against men, children are not often involved in adult competitions and there are sometimes separate veteran events show that both a competitors age and their gender affects their sporting performance.

Effects of age in sport

A competitors age will affect their performance in the following ways:

Strength

Children are not as strong as adults. We do not reach our maximum strength until we are fully grown at around 20
In your 20's and 30's it is easy to build up strength and muscle mass
In your 40's and onwards strength decreases as protein levels and muscle mass falls

Flexibility

We are most flexible as adolescents
As we get older we tend to loose this suppleness

Oxygen capacity

Our capacity to transport and use oxygen so effectively falls as we age

Injury and disease

As we age, weakness and inflexibility make us more prone to injury
It also takes us longer to heal
Diseases such as cancer and heart disease are more prominent in the older population

Reaction times

As we age, we get slower to react to a stimulus

Experience

Older athletes are often called experienced, and this experience can be an important tool
Experience helps us to know how best to deal with a situation

In some sports age isn't a disadvantage. Sports which do not require strength, flexibility or endurance capacity can be competed in by both young and old. Sports which require accuracy or concentration, such as bowls and darts.