The 82-year-old man with a 20-year-old <x0...

Juan López García, from the town of Toledo to Spain, competes in an even more remarkable achievement, considering that, until the age of 66, he had never trained regularly and had not been trained as an athlete.

López García began running only after retirement from work as a car mechanic, at first having a very difficult time finishing even a single mile.

In time, he gradually increased his physical form, started to compete at the age of 70, and, over the years, moved from short races to longer ones, eventually reaching ultramaratots.

Today, researchers say that its aerobic capacity is out of range for its age.

In detailed laboratory tests, scientists found that it has the highest level of VO2 mex ever recorded in a person over 80 years of age, an indicator of the efficiency with which the body receives and uses oxygen equal to that of healthy men in their 20s and 30s.

They also concluded that its muscles are extremely efficient in absorbing and using oxygen, which helps it maintain a fast and steady pace of running for long periods.

His case has attracted international attention, as it challenges assumptions that physical performance should decline significantly with age and suggests that, in proper conditions, it is possible to preserve an extraordinary physical form even after the age of 80.

Juan López García, 82, from Toledo, Spain, competes in ultramatratona even though by the age of 66 he had never been practicing regularly.

There are still many questions about aging,” told The Washington Post Simone Porcelli, exercise physicist at Pavia University in Italy, included in his study.

“Not long ago, it was not viewed as possible or useful for older people to exercise too much,” added Julian Alcazar, coauthor of the study.

But López García proves otherwise. “not only is it possible, but it must be recommended,” said Alzheimer's.

Healthy life expectancy: the number of years one person is expected to live in full health in the United States is, on average, less than 64 years, although there are major regional differences.

The inhabitants of Hawaii, Minnesota, and California have a healthy life span of some 70 years, while in West Virginia it lands to about 60 years.

In the United Kingdom, the situation is equally disturbing. Official data shows that adults in England can expect to spend about 62 years in good health, which means that an average person spends about two decades of his life facing illness or disability.

In this context, Spain's healthy life expectancy of 71 years puts it well ahead of the British average, making the physical performance of López García in its 80s even more extraordinary, and that is why scientists have shown great interest in studying it.

Researchers pointed out that López García's biology is not in every respect <x0 human “ ”.

While its aerobic capacity is remarkable, other components of performance, such as the threshold of lactic acid and the running economy, are good but not extreme, which suggests that continued training, and not just genetics, explains much of its success.

López García runs about 40 miles [64 km] a week when she is not preparing for competition and almost doubles that distance during competition preparations.

Its training includes moderately long runs, interval sessions several times a week, and house - force exercises, mainly with body weight. It also follows a totally normal <x0 diet” Mediterranean-style diet.

Scientists believe his example may be inspiring to older people who think it's “too late” to start exercise.

López García himself says he had never imagined that he would reach elite levels, since he first started running just to maintain his health and advised the beginners to start slowly, gradually moving from fast to running.

As for his personal plans, López García has no intention of stopping.

He says that when he thinks of people in their 80s, he remembers his grandparents, who at that age looked “as little elders”. “Today, ” says, “does not feel old. ”

The news comes at a time of growing interest in so - called Blue Zones, regions of the world where the concentration of people living up to 100 years and more is above normal.

Experts increasingly suggest that they are small and repeat customs that make the biggest difference over time.

Instead of extreme diets, heavy training plans or expensive supplements, the communities with the greatest life expectancy share simple behaviors: mainly plant food, easy physical activity every day, strong social ties, stress management, and dietary restraint.

The best known examples include Okinawan in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Ikarian in Greece, Nicolas in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda in California, the only US-known Blue Zone.

Dr. Steven N. Austad, a scientific director of the American Federation for Aging Research, warned that the Blue Zones may not last forever.

“Migration, urbanisation, Westerning and other factors could destroy a once-surfying Blue Zone,” he said.