How sports science has made age just a number and given longevity to ageing superstars | Sport360.com

Usually players of my age go to Qatar or China, with all due respect”. Those were the words of a 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo following his €100 million switch from Real Madrid to Juventus last month, more than hinting his refusal to accept physical decline and dedication to continue at the highest level made him stand alone among other notable names who had chosen a comfortable, relatively care-free and lucrative path towards retirement playing at a lesser standard of competition.

During his medical testing in Turin ahead of his official unveiling, the Serie A side’s doctors revealed the Portuguese icon had the physical capacity of a 20-year-old. It has to be said that Ronaldo, a joint-record five-time Ballon d’Or winner, is a freak of nature and a one-off, but that statistic – derived from the results of muscle mass, body fat testing and overall top speed along with various other degrees of attribution – came as no real surprise.

Read the full article on Sport360.com