Whether it is expressly stated or not, a key motivator in any decision to get healthier and fitter is to reduce our biological age. To look and feel younger than the number of years we have spent on this earth. The photo on the left was taken eight years ago. I was fifty-two. I was a gym regular. I cycled and swam occasionally but I coasted from one diet to another and didn’t lift heavy weights. Move to the present day I manage my nutrition by macro counting and I weight train 3-4 times per week. Importantly, I know what I’m doing. I am far fitter than my 52 year old self. Even with a titanium heart valve clicking away.

Biological age is difficult to pin down as it is largely determined by the length of our telomeres. Telomeres sit at the end of our chromosomes. They get shorter with age until they get so short they can’t do their job. So the longer the better. But such information is not easily to hand.

There are a number of things you can do to reduce your biological age. None of which come as any surprise (diet, sleep, exercise, reducing stress). There are also an array of online calculators that can give you a prediction.

I’m largely sceptical of these online calculators as the depth they go into is fairly superficial. For example, the frequency and intensity of exercise is established but not whether resistance training is included. An important part of maintaining or at least slowing down the loss of bone and muscle density.

But of course I do them. And I come out a lot younger than the number of candles on my birthday cake. Not that I would ever chance such a blatant fire risk.

Is any of this relevant? Will knowing my biological age make any difference to my training programme? Well I think it just might.

One of my goals is to reduce my body fat percentage to an acceptable level. For women this is below 31%. Back in June I was at 37%. I’m now just above 31% so I’m nearly there.

The percentage is calculated by using an on-line tool where you add your age, weight and skin fold measurements. I have to admit I’ve never questioned why age needs to be included. Very remiss of me. So much for my enquiring mind.

But a few days ago I was discussing with my personal trainer how I wanted to get to below 30%. She questioned what calculator I was using as many of her other clients had similar skin fold measurements as me but lower body fat percentages. She suggested I put in a different age to see if the calculation changed and remarked that as I didn’t have the body of a sixty year old the calculator may not be accurate. At the time I didn’t fully appreciate what she was saying as it was just a statement of fact not meant as a compliment. But it is true. It’s what I have worked for. And what she can largely take the credit for.

So I changed my age from 60 to 25 (if only it was that easy) but kept all the other measurements. My body fat percentage dropped to 25.18% from 31.71% and my lean body mass went from 46.23kg to 50.65kg. How could this be? It just didn’t make sense.

First stop google. Plenty of information as to why body fat percentage can increase with age but barely anything on why there would be such a discrepancy in the calculation. If there is anyone reading this who can explain please let me know.

From what I gather from a couple of discussion forums is that the calculators take into consideration the expectation of the age group. A algorithm is applied. So as a 60 year old my bone density would have reduced, my muscle fibres diminished and I have less fluid circulating in my body. Therefore I would have less lean body mass than a twenty-five year old. It won’t take into account that I have been working hard for the last 6 years to stop or at least limit these changes happening.

So where does this leave me.

Well I still have the mirror as probably the most accurate account of whether I need to lose more body fat. And yes I do. But not much.

And I will continue using an online calculator but I will slice ten years off my age.

But I still have a hankering to know what my body composition is. Not just a best guess based on an algorithm. So I’m considering going for a Dexa scan. I’ll let you know how I get on.