This 93-year-old indoor rowing champion has the body of a healthy 40-year-old. How does he do it?
“It was one of the most inspiring days I’ve ever spent in the lab,” Philip Jakemen said, who co-wrote a study from last month on 93-year-old indoor rowing champion Richard Morgan, per Futurism.
Morgan, who was 92 at the time of study, was invited to the University of Limerick’s physiology lab to measure his body composition, metabolism and lung function through a simulated 2,000-meter rowing machine race, as reported by The Washington Post.
What the study gathered about Morgan
During the trial, his heart rate maxed out at an astounding 153 beats per minute, which was, according to The Washington Post, above the presumed maximum heart rate for his age group and among the highest rates ever recorded by a person his age. In addition, his heart rate was found to have peaked quickly, signifying that Morgan has strong cardiovascular health.
Morgan was reportedly found to have the heart and body of a healthy 30- to 40-year-old and a 15% body fat percentage — categorized as being a relatively superb fit by Medical News Today. He also weighed out at 165 pounds, 80% of which was muscle, per Futurism.
“The current analysis demonstrates novel findings,” said the study author. “The principal observation relates to the kinetics of oxygen uptake that were found (in Morgan) to be similar to those reported for healthy young adults.”
The author added, “This is a remarkable finding in a 92-year-old and may serve to highlight the (flexibility) of cardiopulmonary and respiratory functional capacity, even in persons of advanced age.”
How does he do it?
The Washington Post shared what is Morgan’s simple exercise/diet routine:
Mix of training: Seventy percent of Morgan’s training is fairly easy labor. Twenty percent of training becomes more difficult, but at a tolerable pace. The final 10% of training goes at an intense, vigorous rate.
Consistency: He rows roughly 18.5 miles around 40 minutes a day, each day.
High-protein diet: Morgan eats plenty of protein a day, exceeding the typical recommendation of 60 grams for someone of his weight.
Futurism clarifies that he performs “lunges and curls with dumbbells two or three times a week until his muscles grow tired.”
According to Morgan’s grandson, Lorcan Daly, Morgan didn’t start training for rowing until he was 73, per The Washington Post. He attended a rowing class with a separate grandson, who was a collegiate rower, and Morgan ended up getting invited by the coach to use a rowing machine.
“He never looked back,” said Daly.