Is 40 the new peak in sports? Well probably not, but it's defiantly not the huge barrier it once was with over 60% more professional Athletes over 40 than there was 20 years ago. And now in 2017 arguably more Pro Athletes are actually peaking in there 40's and having better seasons than they did in their 20's and 30's.

 

Now before I get back into talking about Profesional Athletes I am going to put it into perspective just how young you are and why old is getting older and young is also getting older, And that goes for Professional Athletes too, While I 100% Agree we are going through an obesity crisis in modern society which needs to be fixed asap, we are also fitter, stronger, healthier and younger than what we have ever been, there seem's to be no in between, The average life expectancy in most modern countries is around 87., Baby Boomers who are generally born between 1946-1964 are fitter, stronger, healthier than their previous counterparts aged between 53-71 and considering recent studies tell us that middle age begins at 50 and finishes at 73 the facts are the baby boomer generation is younger than ever, Then you have to the Silent generation or what would like to call the Loud generation because they are young enough that most of them get confused with the Baby Boomer generation because of their youthful and strong Attitude but they are Born between 1925-1945. Aged from 72-92  a lot of this generation are still working, starting careers, going back to school, playing sport, teaching, traveling and inspiring. Feel young yet? Ok well let's talk about another forgotten generation that is very important and still motivating and inspiring the younger generations, they call this generation the greatest generation/lost generation, people born before 1925 and again continue to inspire, Aged between 92-118 (Worlds oldest person) there are currently more healthy and fit people over 100 than ever before, there are Yoga & music teachers, Marathon runners, dancers who motivate inspire and continue to follow there dreams. While we continue to be selfish and seem to only talk about Baby Boomers, Gen x (1965-1979) and Gen Y (1980-2001) we have to remember these generations still exist and will continue too for awhile and continue to inspire the younger generations. Now enough rambling, let's get back to the Athletes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now do you feel young? I hope so.because let's get back to the Article on hand, you know the one where I said more Athletes are peaking in their 40's and the one's that are breaking the 50 Barrier.

 

Now who you may ask which Athletes am I talking about? Jaromir Jagr maybe? Judgement, of course, is rendered on a subjective basis, but go ahead, you tell me: What player in the NHL has been more valuable to his team than Jagr over the last two years, Jagr last season had a Second Career Year and around whom the historically ineffectual Puddy Tats have coalesced to become one of the NHL’s emerging nations? Last season Jagr lead the Florida Panthers in Goals and Points on the way to taking Florida to the playoffs while also being a major MVP contender. This season Jagr is again on his way to leading Florida statistically and if his past seasons are anything to go he is only warming up for the second half of the season.

 

Another example of many is Surfing champion Kelly Slater who has just come off his best year since 2010, finishing on the Podium 3 time while pulling off Maneuvers never seen by Kelly before or anyone for that matter. Slater was the only one to pull off two perfect 10's in one round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BMX Vert champion Dennis McCoy turned 50 in December and just seems to keep getting better currently ranking around 4th in the world his riding just seems to be getting better with every year. Dennis show's how young 50 is and that anything before really is youth. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Profesional Athlete dominating BMX Vert is world number 1 45-year-old Jamie Bestwick, Bestwick won a record-breaking 9 consecutive Vert titles at X Games before his silver medal finish behind Vince Byron in 2015. Before reclaiming his throne in 2016 and honestly looked better and more hungry than ever before.

 

 

In the past MLB has always been a place for older Athletes that have probably played a few more years than they probably should have, but not any more Players in their 40's are fitter, healthier and even younger than their past counterparts Ichiro Suzuki is just

one of the players that Prove that. He says it himself, his body is probably better than it was in his 20's. During the 2015 season he

played more games than any other Marlin and last season he had a Batting average of .300 with a .354 on-base percentage.

                                                           

                                                               Ichiro Suz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pitcher 44-year-old Bartolo Colon has worked a spotless career and shows no signs of slowing down. After his final season with the Athletics in 2013, Colon seemed to only get better, While it is common knowledge that Colon primarily throws fastballs,

he fools hitters with precision and changing speeds. His signature pitch is a two-seam fastball that provides Colon with more movement.. With his ability to adapt and keep getting better I wouldn't be surprised if we see Colon pitching in his 50's.

 

 

100m Sprinter Kim Collins is another one that shatters the old adage that Athletes Peak between 28-35 and unless you are a negative

Journalist and you believe what they write then we all know now that it's just not true and Collins is one of many Pro Athletes to smash that adage out of the park. Don't be surprised if you see Kim Collins in the 100m at the Olympics at 50.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Now ok Tom Brady is quite 40 yet but Brady who turns 40 in August has Arguably just come off his best season of his Career, Brady was as efficient this season as an NFL quarterback can possibly be, He finished the regular season with the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history with 28 touchdown passes against just two interceptions and could is strong favourite to win the 

2016-2017 MVP Award, the only thing that is against him is that he missed the first 4 games of the season. Yes Brady Missed the 

first 4 games of the season due to suspension and still came out as one of the favorites. Brady show's how youthful 40 is. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So do I have enough examples? Well if I had to name every Pro Athlete around the world that are still excelling in their 40's then I would have to name thousands, If it was 20 years ago then yes maybe possible, So to help you out below is a video of last years best Pro Athletes over 40 which shows only a small percentage of the best Athletes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that we know 40 is very much youth and been smashed in the Professional Athlete ranks is 50 the new Barrier in Professional sports? Well, to be honest, that barrier has been broken, and while it hasn't been smashed yet it has definitely been broken. Now again you may ask by who? Well while there are quite a few Athletes currently still competing to have Broken the barrier, it may be easier for me to name these.

 

Current Professional Mountain Bike Athlete Ned Overend made every Exercise &  Sports scientist, Sports doctor question what we thought we knew about Performance and Aging in Professional Athletes when he won the 2015 American Fatboy National Mountain bike championship and no he didn't win the Masters he won the Professional National championship at 59 years young and if anyone is going to smash the 60-year-old Barrier by winning an Open Pro race don't be surprised if it's Ned. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

51 Year old Mark Felix is Britains Second strongest man and one of the World's strongest Men, While most of the Worlds strongest Men seem to be in there 40's Mark has only gotten stronger going into his 50's showing all of us what is the point in stopping something because of a number, a number that is so young in 2017 and especially if you are still getting better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

Japenese Soccer sensation 50-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura is not just quick he is amazingly quick, Miura plays in Japans Pro Football league and show's no signs of slowing down. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro Bodyboarder Mike Stewart came in 9th in the WBT (World Bodybuilding Tour) 2016 54-year-old Stewart is the pinnacle of youth and again only seems to get better. Don't be surprised if we see another World title in his hand before he turns 60.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lex Nederlof is a Professional Road Cyclist and at 50 has no thoughts about retiring and getting a real Job, Nederlof say's "unless my performance isn't up to scratch for the Pro circuit then I would retire, but while I keep improving then why would I even think about it"

Nederlof won the 2016 Kings cup in Asia. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do I need to keep going? well if you say so, many may smirk when I say Bernard Hopkins because of his recent 8th Round Loss to Joe 

Smith Jnr, but let's put this into perspective, the haters are going to say he was past it and shouldn't have fought while the actual people who know realize he was leading Joe Smith Jnr Easily until the 8th Round and while Hopkins did lose fair and square, he wasn't knocked out and if he had of had more time to get back in the ring he probably would have won by decision. Hopkins has always beaten the haters and Naysayers inside and outside of the ring. Hopkins has always been a good fighter but by his mid 40's he

hit his peak and became one of the all time great's vertically unbeatable until his 12th round loss to Wladimir Klitschko at age 49, Hopkins then took nearly 3 years off before his fight against Joe Smtih Jnr and looked his ever amazing self, his fitness staff and doctors said he was as fit as he has ever been, but maybe 3 years off is too much for any great fighter against a great opponent but Hopkins has been beaten before, written off before and proven them all wrong time and time again, whether he fight's again won't be down to if he is good enough or not but just whether he want's too, but one thing is for sure Hopkins will remain in Professional fighter shape for a lot of years to come. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And while some haters and sports Journalists won't agree, the facts are being a Pro Athlete in your 40's is younger than ever and while

most Athletes don't Peak in there 40's, It's a great motivation for everyone and to show your Kids that a lot of Pro Athletes actually do because the worst example we can set is saying it's old when we all know 40's is youth.. As for that 50 Barrier I think we can all agree it's been absolutely smashed.