While everyone hopes to celebrate as many birthdays as possible, there’s a significant difference between a long lifespan and what some experts call healthspan. The latter term refers to a sustained high quality of life into old age, including traits like mobility and mental clarity that are more common among younger people. But things are slightly different for Emma Maria Mazzenga, who continues to rack up world records for sprinting despite nearing her 100th birthday.
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An Italian woman is still a track star in her 90s.
Most people in their 90s are rightfully thrilled if they can still manage to walk themselves to the grocery store or even make it up the stairs without assistance. But Mazenga, a 92-year-old former chemistry teacher from Padua, Italy, is still a bona fide track star.
In 2024, she earned herself a place in history by setting the fastest pace ever for the outdoor 200-meter dash for female competitors 90 and older, finishing the sprint in 51.47 seconds, The Washington Post reports.
Mazzenga admits that she has very few competitors to race against. But regardless, her notable feat caught the attention of scientists, who sought to gain a better understanding of how the geriatric woman was able to function at the same athletic level as someone much younger.
Scientists ran tests and found that Mazenga is a unique case.
A team of Italian researchers contacted Mazzenga to participate in a case study of how physical abilities change as we age. According to the New York Post, Mazzenga completed performance tests on a bicycle and during knee exercises. The researchers also biopsied a small part of her thigh muscle for testing.
Examination of Mazzenga’s tissue revealed that her cardiovascular health was atypical, as her body pumped oxygen with the efficiency of a woman 40 years younger. Additionally, the biopsy revealed that her cells had higher-than-average mitochondrial strength, and her muscles contained “remarkably large” slow-twitch fibers, which are responsible for endurance strength.
Together with the observation on her circulation, the researchers said her muscle function was much closer to someone who was in their 20s—or one-fifth her age.
“Either through genetics or her lifestyle—or a mixture of both—she is able to keep that communication between the brain, between the nerves and the muscle at a much healthier level than what we typically see in a 90-year-old,” Chris Sundberg, PhD, a co-lead author of the study and researcher at Marquette University, told The Washington Post.
“This unique combination likely contributed to her exceptional 200m sprint performance, allowing her to maintain both endurance and speed at an advanced age,” first study author Marta Colosio, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in exercise physiology at Marquette University, told the New York Post.
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Mazzenga’s routine is relatively straightforward.
Mazzenga is no stranger to lacing up and hitting the track. She was a decorated sprinter in her late teens and early 20s before starting a family and stepping away from the sport. But a few decades later, at the age of 53, she joined her former teammates and got back to training and competing, this time keeping up the habit for good.
“I never spend a whole day indoors,” Mazzenga told The Washington Post. “Sports have given me so much. I’d say it’s been a lifesaver. I don’t like getting by—just waiting for dusk to fall. I need action.”
Still, it’s not just time on the track that plays a part in her regimen. Mazzenga shared with The Washington Post that her diet is made up of “very simple things” like proteins such as fish, beef, and fried eggs, along with “a little pasta [and] a little rice.”
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Starting a fitness regimen can greatly help with aging.
Scientists aren’t surprised that Mazzenga’s devotion to fitness is paying dividends.
“Lifelong exercise training can enable extraordinary performance and maintain high functional levels even into the ninth decade of life,” said Colosio.
However, those who only begin getting in shape in middle age or their early senior years can still see significant benefits if they stay consistent with their efforts.
“A lot of the detrimental effects that you see with aging can be substantially reduced if we just keep those physical activity levels very high,” Bas Van Hooren, PhD, an assistant professor in nutrition and movement sciences at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, told The Washington Post.
He noted that he’s previously studied elite runners in their 70s, all of whom picked up the habit later in life, proving that there’s plenty of evidence that “it’s never too late to get started.”
“A lot of the detrimental effects that you see with aging can be substantially reduced if we just keep those physical activity levels very high,” Van Hooren concluded.
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