Health and performance factors in Masters Athlete

Health and Performance Factors in Masters Athletes is designed for healthcare professionals seeking to understand and support the unique needs of aging athletes. Led by Professor Peter Reaburn, the course provides evidence-based insights into optimising performance, health, and well-being.

Unit 1: Performance Factors
This unit introduces the physiological changes in Masters athletes, emphasising age-related declines in endurance, strength, flexibility, and power. It explores training strategies such as resistance and plyometric training to mitigate performance losses and highlights the role of motivation in maintaining activity levels. The segment also examines demographic variations, including differences in decline patterns between genders and athletic disciplines.

Unit 2: Health Factors
Focusing on the intersection of health and sports, this unit discusses cardiovascular fitness, chronic disease prevention, and successful aging domains: physical, psychological, cognitive, and social. Participants gain insights into the benefits of aerobic fitness and the risks of excessive endurance exercise, such as atrial fibrillation. The course highlights the importance of tailored health screenings and assessments for Masters athletes to balance activity with health risks.

Unit 3: Risk Factors
This unit addresses the potential risks associated with aging athletes, including cardiovascular complications, medication use, and dissatisfaction in medical care. It emphasises the importance of athlete-specific healthcare, including coronary artery calcium scoring and stress testing, and explores the psychological and emotional significance of maintaining an active identity for successful aging.

Unit 4: Physical Activity
This final unit underscores the role of physical activity in enhancing longevity and quality of life in older adults. It integrates World Health Organisation guidelines on aerobic and resistance training with a focus on Masters athletes. Topics include osteoporosis prevention through weight-bearing exercises, the importance of balance training, and tools for prescribing safe, effective physical activity. Resources such as Exercise Is Medicine and referral pathways to exercise physiologists and strength specialists are introduced to support athlete-specific interventions.

This course empowers participants to deliver personalised, evidence-based care for Masters athletes, fostering their health, performance, and lifelong engagement in sport.