Whilst there are some exceptions, the average cricket, rugby, and soccer player retires in their mid-30s and a lot barely play towards the end which gives them an indication that they should retire.
I know that it must be hard to get good offers to play when they reach their mid-30s but what are the body changes that take place when one is in their mid-30s?
It also seems like the athletes in these sports mainly peak between 27-29.
In: Biology
For the body changes, your climax in terms of body strength is about 25, after that, it’s going down – of course, not quickly or immediately, but you need gradually more training to stay in shape, and your athletic abilities will decline when maxed out. Of course, up to a certain point, you can compensate that with experience, knowledge in the sports, technique and by working harder — this works better in some sports and some positions than others: NFL kickers or quarterbacks for example can play longer than running backs simply because raw athletics play a smaller role in their success. Professional gymnasts or swimmers on the other hand often retire (from professional level) before they turn 30.
As others mentioned, besides declining physical abilities in general, the body has a harder time to bounce back from injuries, and long-term problems can accumulated (for example, handballers often develop shoulder problems due to the large forces exerted there). How much injuries affect a player is always a bit of good or bad luck obviously, but especially ligaments get weaker the more often you have a rupture.
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