{"id":106554,"date":"2025-09-01T08:41:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T08:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/106554\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T08:41:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T08:41:21","slug":"92-year-old-sprinting-champion-functions-like-a-20-year-old-best-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/106554\/","title":{"rendered":"92-Year-Old Sprinting Champion Functions Like a 20-Year-Old \u2014 Best Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

While everyone hopes to celebrate as many birthdays as possible, there\u2019s 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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Longevity Expert Says These 5 Biohacking Secrets Can Help You Feel Young Forever<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An Italian woman is still a track star in her 90s.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, The Washington Post reports.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Scientists ran tests and found that Mazenga is a unique case.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0performance tests<\/a> on a bicycle and during knee exercises. The researchers also biopsied a small part of her thigh muscle for testing.<\/p>\n

Examination of Mazzenga\u2019s 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 \u201cremarkably large\u201d slow-twitch fibers, which are responsible for endurance strength.<\/p>\n

Together with the observation on her circulation, the researchers said her muscle function was much closer to someone who was in their 20s\u2014or one-fifth her age.<\/p>\n

\u201cEither through genetics or her lifestyle\u2014or a mixture of both\u2014she 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,\u201d Chris Sundberg, PhD, a co-lead author of the study and researcher at Marquette University, told The Washington Post.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis unique combination likely contributed to her exceptional 200m sprint performance, allowing her to maintain both endurance and speed at an advanced age,\u201d first study author Marta Colosio, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in exercise physiology at Marquette University, told the New York Post.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Doctor Says 102-Year-Old Woman Is \u201cOff the Charts\u201d\u2014Here Are Her Longevity Secrets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mazzenga\u2019s routine is relatively straightforward.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never spend a whole day indoors,\u201d Mazzenga told The Washington Post. \u201cSports have given me so much. I\u2019d say it\u2019s been a lifesaver. I don\u2019t like getting by\u2014just waiting for dusk to fall. I need action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s 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 \u201cvery simple things\u201d like proteins such as fish, beef, and fried eggs, along with \u201ca little pasta [and] a little rice.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: Walking for Just 15 Minutes a Day Slashes Your Risk of Death\u2014If You Go at This Pace<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Starting a fitness regimen can greatly help with aging.<\/p>\n

Scientists aren\u2019t surprised that Mazzenga\u2019s devotion to fitness is paying dividends.<\/p>\n

\u201cLifelong exercise training can enable extraordinary performance and maintain high functional levels even into the ninth decade of life,\u201d said Colosio.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the detrimental effects that you see with aging can be substantially reduced if we just keep those physical activity levels very high,\u201d Bas Van Hooren, PhD, an assistant professor<\/a> in nutrition and movement sciences at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, told The Washington Post.<\/p>\n

He noted that he\u2019s previously studied elite runners in their 70s, all of whom picked up the habit later in life, proving that there\u2019s plenty of evidence that \u201cit\u2019s never too late to get started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the detrimental effects that you see with aging can be substantially reduced if we just keep those physical activity levels very high,\u201d Van Hooren concluded.<\/p>\n

We offer the most up-to-date information from top experts, new research, and health agencies, but our content is not meant to be a substitute for professional guidance. When it comes to the medication you’re taking or any other health questions you have, always consult your healthcare provider directly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While everyone hopes to celebrate as many birthdays as possible, there\u2019s a significant difference between a long lifespan…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":106555,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,102,656,56,54,55,1169],"class_list":{"0":"post-106554","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-health-advice","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom","13":"tag-unitedkingdom","14":"tag-workouts"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106554\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}