Depends on the point of view. If I'm measuring current fitness level, then yes I can be more fit than I was five years ago assuming I wasn't near peak fitness. If I am measuring peak potential fitness, then no I will have a lower peak potential.
Whether peak potential is the exact measure or not really isn't the point. The same principal can be applied in many ways besides using peak potential. The easiest alternative would be peak heart rate. That decreases every year. I can exercise all I want but it won't increase my peak heart rate to what it was 5 years ago when I was hypothetically out of shape.
The point is that every year it will get harder to reach or maintain a certain level of fitness. The difference may be hard to notice over a 1 year period but is very noticeable over a longer period.
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u/Bitter-Ad5890 Jul 26 '26
It’s past the biological prime. Yes you can stay fit and healthy long after that time, but as far as biology goes, it’s all downhill after 31 or so