Why can wrestler’s compete well into their 40s and sometimes 50s and stay in great shape and perform crazy stunts but actual professional athletes rarely play into their even late 30s?

Question

Please don’t just tell me because wrestling is fake because a quick Google search on wrestler’s injuries and you’ll see that it’s definitely not fake all the time and is very dangerous.

In: Other

Answer 1

WWE wrestlers are professionals. They train hard and seriously and that involves a risk of injury. The events themselves are more performance than sport. That kind of performance requires skill and strength and involves risks of injuries too.

What distinguishes it from most other sporting events is that the performers are not asked to go to that ultimate level that many sports requires. There is a huge difference pushing oneself beyond the limits on a regular basis and doing something in a controlled fashion at 80-90% of the limit.

Think of a car as an analogy. Driven normally (even if fast) and maintained well, a modern car lasts for hundreds of thousands of kilometers, barring accidents. However any car used for actual racing will rarely last for more than a few thousand kilometers. Things that are constantly pushed to the limit reduce their useful life very quickly.