MIDLIFE AGING AND PERFORMANCE STUDY - ADOPTING PHYSICAL CAPACITY TESTS FOR BIOLOGICAL AGE ASSESSMENT

Sep 29, 2026

Aging drives chronic disease risk and functional decline, yet its progression is heterogeneous. Midlife aging is often estimated through physiological biomarkers of Biological Age (BA), which can constrain personalized behavioral intervention design. The Midlife Aging and Performance Study (MAPS) links a comprehensive physical capacity measure based on behavioral domains to BA estimated via physiological markers using the Klemera-Doubal method. In 112 participants, strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility performance correlated with younger BA, and a five-domain composite score predicted accelerated aging with an odds ratio of 0.40, supporting population screening and intervention targets.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study aims and design

Participants and BA estimation

Physical capacity assessment domains

Key findings and implications

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 287 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.963 MIDLIFE AGING AND PERFORMANCE STUDY: ADOPTING PHYSICAL CAPACITY TESTS FOR BIOLOGICAL AGE ASSESSMENT Roy Tzemah-Shahar, Merav Asher, and Maayan Agmon, University of Haifa, Haifa, HaZafon, Israel Aging is a risk factor for the development of chronic diseases and functional decline; however, it is heterogenous. Measuring aging in midlife is commonly done using physiological markers to estimate Biological Age (BA). This method limits the possibilities of developing personalized behavioral interventions to promote healthier aging. To address this gap, we have developed the Midlife Aging and Performance Study (MAPS), a cross-sectional study aiming to examine the association between a comprehensive measure of physical capacity, relying on behavioral markers, and BA, measured by physiological markers. A total of 112 individuals (age 44.5±1.4, 47% women) were included in MAPS; BA was estimated using the Klemera-Doubal method. Physical capacity (PC) was measured using tests covering five behavioral domains (muscle strength, endurance, balance, agility, and flexibility). Higher performance in strength, endurance, balance and flexibility domains was correlated with younger BA (Pearson’s r 0.33-0.49, p < 0.001); a composite score of physical capacity, including five domains, was significantly negatively associated with accelerated aging in a logistic regression (where biological age>chronological age). The composite physical capacity score had an odds ratio of 0.40 (95% CI 0.25-0.64) in predicting accelerated aging, each incremental increase in physical capacity corresponded with a 60% reduction in the risk of being in an accelerated aging state. The proposed physical capacity battery also includes a functional behavioral assessment for aging state during midlife. Measuring physical capacity may help in population wide risk-screening assessment, presenting both easily conveyed intervention goals and a means to evaluate temporal changes of health independent of laboratory tests.

FAQs

What problem does MAPS address in measuring midlife aging?

MAPS addresses the heterogeneity of aging and the limitations of using physiological biomarkers alone to estimate Biological Age (BA) when designing personalized behavioral interventions.

How is Biological Age (BA) estimated in the study?

BA is estimated using the Klemera-Doubal method based on physiological markers.

Which physical capacity domains are used, and what is their relationship with BA?

Physical capacity is assessed across five behavioral domains: muscle strength, endurance, balance, agility, and flexibility. Higher performance in strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility correlates with younger BA.

Sep 29, 2026

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