A retired high school science teacher living in Padua, Italy, Emma is an elite sprinter who reportedly holds multiple world records in the 90-to-94 age group.
But it is her internal biology, rather than just her medal count, that is stunning the international scientific community.
Also read | 62-year-old grandmother shares her secret to staying fit: 'Exercise won’t make you look younger than you are but...' Emma Maria Mazzenga's fitness secret for healthy body at 92: short sessions, sprints, walks, fish, eggs, veggies.
Perhaps most remarkably, reportedly the mitochondria — the cellular powerhouses that transform oxygen into energy — inside her muscles are functioning with the robustness of a 20-year-old.
Also read | 80-year-old grandmother isn't just living, she's thriving with 5-day gym, 90-minute workouts, high-protein diet
At 92, Emma Maria Mazzenga is rewriting the biological rules of ageing. A retired high school science teacher living in Padua, Italy, Emma is an elite sprinter who reportedly holds multiple world records in the 90-to-94 age group. But it is her internal biology, rather than just her medal count, that is stunning the international scientific community. Also read | 62-year-old grandmother shares her secret to staying fit: 'Exercise won’t make you look younger than you are but...' Emma Maria Mazzenga's fitness secret for healthy body at 92: short sessions, sprints, walks, fish, eggs, veggies. No marathons. No extremes. (Instagram/ The Washington Post)
As detailed in a new report by The Washington Post, shared on Instagram on June 10, researchers are currently conducting a comprehensive case study of Emma's physical fitness — the findings challenge everything we know about physical decline in the twilight years of life.
30-year-old muscles in a 92-year-old body Scientists are closely analysing Emma’s muscles, nerves, and cellular biology to understand exactly how she continues to run competitively well into her 90s, and the early data is reported to be nothing short of extraordinary.
Researchers found that her overall aerobic fitness closely mirrors that of athletic women almost half her age; and her body's capacity to absorb oxygen and deliver it to her muscle tissue is comparable to that typically observed in active 30-year-olds. Perhaps most remarkably, reportedly the mitochondria — the cellular powerhouses that transform oxygen into energy — inside her muscles are functioning with the robustness of a 20-year-old.
“What we are learning is that, definitely, exercise training is a major thing we should focus on to change the ageing process,” explained exercise physiologist Simone Porcelli, who described Emma as 'quite inspiring'. Also read | 80-year-old grandmother isn't just living, she's thriving with 5-day gym, 90-minute workouts, high-protein diet
