Nutrition for Older Athletes: Focus on Sex-Differences

Abstract

Regular physical exercise and a healthy diet are major determinants of a healthy lifespan.Although aging is associated with declining endurance performance and muscle function, thesecomponents can favorably be modified by regular physical activity and especially by exercise trainingat all ages in both sexes. In addition, age-related changes in body composition and metabolism,which affect even highly trained masters athletes, can in part be compensated for by higher exercisemetabolic efficiency in active individuals. Accordingly, masters athletes are often considered as a rolemodel for healthy aging and their physical capacities are an impressive example of what is possiblein aging individuals. In the present review, we first discuss physiological changes, performanceand trainability of older athletes with a focus on sex differences. Second, we describe the mostimportant hormonal alterations occurring during aging pertaining regulation of appetite, glucosehomeostasis and energy expenditure and the modulatory role of exercise training. The third parthighlights nutritional aspects that may support health and physical performance for older athletes.Key nutrition-related concerns include the need for adequate energy and protein intake for preventinglow bone and muscle mass and a higher demand for specific nutrients (e.g., vitamin D and probiotics)that may reduce the infection burden in masters athletes. Fourth, we present important researchfindings on the association between exercise, nutrition and the microbiota, which represents a rapidlydeveloping field in sports nutritio