Researchers weigh in on how Tom Brady’s training helps him age so well

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is entering is 20th NFL season, but has shown no signs of slowing down. It’s no secret that Tom Brady is winning the battle against time. The Patriots quarterback is entering his 20th season in the NFL and hopes he has a few more years left in the tank. But what will happen to the Super Bowl champ as time goes on? In a recent article published by The Guardian , researchers gave insights as to what will happen to Brady’s physical skills with aging, as well as on what he’s done to counter the effects of getting older so far. According to Hirofumi Tanaka, researcher of aging at the University of Texas, athletic longevity is possible through what he calls the ‘Formula One approach’, which focuses on “nutrition, injury prevention, sleep [and] training.” Brady’s specific training methods not only support this approach, but help him with certain “physiological” declines that happen naturally with age. By the age of 40, the human body undergoes a decline in muscle mass and testosterone that directly effects the “size and numbers of muscle fibers.” Resistance training is one way to help improve muscle strength, and this has helped Brady develop a, “natural and refined [throwing method] with little wasted motion”, that proves to be effective. According to former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky, Brady, “has the arm strength to make every pass that he needs to [and] he understands the right throw for every situation.” The nervous system also changes as the body ages, which could directly effect the mechanics of an aging quarterback. QB coach Tom House, who has worked with Brady on his throwing mechanics, said that older quarterbacks experience a, “decreased nervous system function, flexibility and power/acceleration.” He believes Brady needs to be handled with […]

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