Is Centenarian Ski Racer an Outlier or an Example?

We've written previously about the impressive achievements of older athletes, but Michigan's 100-year-old ski racer Lou Batori's abilities are so astonishing that they really must be seen to be believed.

That's why you should watch the recent CBS News report on him posted in video format below.

Batori, a Hungarian-born retired mechanical engineer, started skiing at age 10 in 1920. He not only continues to ski three times a week, but he also competes in races sanctioned by NASTAR, the standardized system that allows skiers of all ages and ability levels to measure their performances. But skiing isn't all he does. When there's no snow, he pedals 15 miles on a bike most days and takes occasional long-distance motorcycle trips with his wife Judith, who rides in a sidecar. And as you can see in the CBS video below, he also cuts a fine figure on the dance floor.

Of course, Batori is precisely the sort of example of superannuated prowess and vitality that writer Susan Jacoby says is only deluding us into ignoring the inevitable ravages of the calendar. In her recent book, Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age, which garnered favorable reviews in The Washington Post, The New York Times and other publications, Jacoby seeks to aggressively debunk the transformational notion that older people can continue to lead vigorous, satisfying lives. Healthy lifestyle changes and an optimistic attitude aren't really enough to protect us against the physical and mental ravages of age, she warns. To Jacoby, someone such as Batori is an outlier, not an example, and she'd prefer to see people stop celebrating such individuals and face up to our own grim mortality.

To which my response is: Susan, don't fear the reaper (to borrow a line from the venerable Blue Oyster Cult classic). Maybe we can't all be Lou Batori or Canadian marathoner Ed Whitlock, who ran a sub-3-hour marathon in 2004 at age 72. (Whitlock, who recently turned 80, reportedly does his 20-plus miles a day on the paths of a local graveyard, which provides about as wonderful of a metaphor as any blogger could hope for.)

But it doesn't hurt to try, because contrary to the theme of Jacoby's book, there is growing evidence that intense exercise may not only thwart some of the deterioration normally caused by aging, but actually helps restore our bodies. This December 2010 Science Daily article, for example, reports that medical researchers at Tel-Aviv University have discovered that endurance exercise increases the number of muscle stem cells and enhances their ability to rejuvenate old muscles.

That augments a 2009 study (PDF) by researchers at Germany's Saarland University, published in the journal Circulation, which found that hard cardio workouts activate an enzyme that stops shortening of the telomeres, the "bookend" portion of our DNA. Erosion of the telomeres normally acts as a biological clock and restricts the number of times that cells can divide, which ultimately causes cells to die. As the study's lead author, Dr. Ulrich Laufs, explains: "There is direct evidence of an anti-aging effect of physical exercise. Physical exercise could prevent the aging of the cardiovascular system."

And it's not just running or cycling that has such effects. This 2010 New York Times article notes that one medical researcher who is studying older athletes, McMaster University's Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, believes that twice-weekly strength training can biochemically, physiologically and genetically revitalize older muscles and turn back the biological clock as much as 15 to 20 years.

I could give you more studies and quotes from scientists to bolster my point, but I'd rather quote from an even more eminent expert -- Lou Batori himself. As a recent Interlochen Public Radio story notes, the centenarian skier gets irked when he hears about older people leading sedentary existences in front of the TV. "Waiting to be carted away (is) a stupid waste of life," he tells an interviewer. "You can replace anything, shoes, your house. But you cannot replace time...so make the best of it."

BTW, for those of us who strive to emulate Batori's athletic longevity, he has some excellent advice on sports drinks. "I prefer red wine, but I'm not against a good martini."

Read more: 6 Record Holders Who Rule and Catholic Nun Raises the Bar for Older Athletes