The analysis in this fact sheet looks at ageing patterns in sport. It brings together existing literature and the latest data to illustrate the optimal ages at which physiology, training, and strategy combine for different sports for both men and women, and how this is changing over time.

Analysis relies on data from the Olympics, as well as from four popular professional sports: tennis, cricket, association football (soccer), and Australian Rules Football. Finally, a comparison of age distributions in community sports shows how sport is the domain of every age group.