SCochiller

I've always wondered if the human body has a "memory" of training after a long period. Suppose someone trains intensely for five years from age 20 - 25, then stops training for ten years. Would s/he retain any benefits at age 35 if s/he started training again (vs having never trained early in life)? Would the cardio benefits gained during the initial 5 years if intense training have residual benefits later in life?

rumrunn6

I would think so, but that is a long break. there such a thing as "muscle memory" meaning even though I've had an off year when I get back tino full training mode it won't take long to trim the waist back down and pump up the muscle mass to where it used to be.

Diddii

I have experienced this, i was a competitive swimmer when i was younger (arround 10years of training). I can still swim 2km easily, looking at beginners in the pool strugling at 500m, i'm sure my body remembers the movements and can adapt what he was used to. I'm no way on the same level as i was when i was training, but i'm sure better than people who just started.

charbucks

I'm not sure about the physical aspect, but the mental training is important too. Now that I know about how to pace myself, how my body should be positioned, what sort of nutrition I need, etc, I feel like I'll always be more capable than my pre-athletic self.

hyhuu

Cardio - unlikely. But just about everything else: techniques, balance, movement, spatial awareness, etc. should be retained to some degrees for the rest of one's life. It's kinda like once you learn how to ride a bike, you'll never forget it.

ericm979

I did almost exactly that, except I quit racing at 30 and started riding again at 40. For most of that I was doing motorcycle racing, primarily off road (observed trials). I kept in better shape than most normal people who are in "good shape", except the last couple years where work crowded out trials riding.

When I came back the only thing that was left was knowledge- how to ride, train, and how my body (used to) respond. All fitness was long gone. I had to learn how an unfit 40 year old responds to training.

chasm54

I can't now find the reference, but years ago I saw a study of Olympic oarsmen. Twenty or so years later, those who had not kept themselves in shape were indistinguishable from the rest of the unfit population. You have to keep doing it.

Carbonfiberboy 

Some things will still work. I didn't ride for 25 years and picked it right back up. Of course I was totally out of shape and couldn't climb, but I knew how to ride a bike, avoid hazards, move in traffic, all that sort of stuff. I also didn't downhill ski for 20 years and picked it right back up. Of course I was slow and tired quickly, but I could still ski bumps. So it makes a difference what you're measuring. Treadmill performance will decline to that of the general population, but your spinal ganglia will still know what to do and what it's supposed to feel like.

I'll bet the Olympic oarsmen could still row an 8, just not fast. I sure as heck couldn't. So I'd say that cardio performance will decline to the general population on non-technical things but you'd beat someone who'd never really ridden, just on knowing how to move, pace yourself, pedal, etc.

So if this is about starting a family, go for it. You'll still be able to ride later!

Myosmith

The concept of "body memory" has been controversial in sports medicine for a very long time. As Carbonfiberboy mentioned, there is a lot more to training than just muscle and cardiovascular development. I was off of a bicycle for 20 years and was able to ride immediately upon buying one early in the spring of 2011. My strength and endurance sucked rocks but the basics of balance and the coordination of pedaling, steering, shifting and braking were all functionally intact though rusty. In theory, if there was no long-term "body memory" I should have had to start from scratch like any adult who had never ridden a bike.

IMHO, there is validity to the concept that once you've had it, it's easier to get it back. I also believe that this effect diminishes over time ie. it is easier to "get it back" after 5 years than it is after 20. Granted this is based primarily on personal observation and anecdotal evidence as valid studies have returned mixed results based on the criteria set and the interpretation of data.

JimF22003

I had last ridden a bike in 1982 or so, when I started back up again in 2004. I immediately felt right at home from a technique standpoint -- riding a straight line, braking, cornering, finding the right cadence etc. Had no stamina at all, and my legs were burning within 5 miles, but that cleared up over a period of months.

SCochiller

Now that's interesting. I wonder if they had any cardio benefit after those twenty years.