Scientists are probing the remarkable case of an 82-year-old Spaniard who, they have discovered, has the body of a man many decades younger.
Juan López García, from the town of Toledo, competes in ultramarathons – a feat made even more extraordinary by the fact that, prior to turning 66, he had never trained as an athlete or exercised regularly.
López García only began running after retiring from his job as a car mechanic, initially struggling to complete even a single mile.
But over time he steadily built up his fitness, began competing at 70 and, as the years passed, moved from shorter distances to longer races – ultimately taking on ultramarathons.
Now, researchers say his aerobic fitness appears to be off the charts for his age.
In extensive lab tests, scientists found he has the highest VO2 max ever recorded in an octogenarian, a measure of how efficiently the body takes in and uses oxygen, matching levels typically seen in healthy men in their 20s and 30s.
They also found his muscles are unusually effective at absorbing and using oxygen – helping him sustain fast, steady running for long periods.
His case has drawn international interest because it challenges assumptions about how sharply physical performance must decline with age – and suggests that, under the right conditions, it may be possible to maintain extraordinary fitness even after 80.
Juan López García, 82, from Toledo, Spain, competes in ultramarathons – and prior to turning 66, he had never trained as an athlete or exercised regularly
‘There are still many questions about the trajectory of aging,’ Simone Porcelli, an exercise physiologist at the University of Pavia in Italy who has been involved in studying Mr López García, told The Washington Post.
‘Not so long ago, it wasn’t really seen as possible or a positive for older people to do much exercise,’ added Julian Alcazar, co-author of the study.
López García shows otherwise. ‘It is not only possible. It should be recommended,’ Alcazar said.
Healthy life expectancy – the number of years a person can expect to live in full health – in the US, on average, is just shy of 64 years, although there are significant regional variations.
Residents of Hawaii, Minnesota and California have health life expectancies of 70 years, while people in West Virginia are expected to stay healthy until just 60 years of age.
In the UK, the picture is similarly stark. Official figures show that adults in England can expect to spend around 62 years in good health – meaning a typical person will spend roughly two decades of their life coping with illness or disability, before they die.
Against that backdrop, Spain’s healthy life expectancy of 71 already puts it well ahead of the UK average – and makes López García’s physical performance in his 80s even more of an extreme outlier, which is precisely why scientists have been so keen to study him.
The researchers said López García’s biology is not uniformly ‘superhuman.’
While his aerobic capacity is exceptional, other aspects of his performance, such as his lactate threshold and running economy, were good but not extreme – suggesting that consistent training, rather than genetics alone, may explain much of his success.
López García now runs around 40 miles a week when he is not preparing for a race and nearly doubles that mileage in the build-up to competitions.
His training includes long, moderately challenging runs, interval sessions a few times a week, and strength work at home using mostly bodyweight exercises. He also follows a ‘totally normal’ Mediterranean-style diet.
Scientists involved in the research believe his example may be encouraging for older adults who think it is ‘too late’ to begin exercising.
López García himself said he never expected to reach elite levels, initially taking up running simply to maintain his health – and advises beginners to start slowly, building from brisk walking into running over time.
As for his own plans, López García has no intention of easing off.
He said that when he thinks of people in their 80s, he remembers his grandparents, who seemed ‘like little old people’ at that age. ‘Today,’ he said, ‘I do not feel old.’
The news comes amid increasing interest in the world’s so-called Blue Zones – regions where there are higher-than-normal concentrations of people living to 100 and beyond.
Experts studying the phenomenon increasingly suggest that it’s the small, repeatable habits that make the biggest difference over time.
Rather than extreme diets, punishing gym plans or expensive supplements, the researchers say the communities with the greatest longevity tend to share the same simple behaviors – from eating mostly plant-based diets and staying gently active every day, to keeping strong social ties, managing stress, and knowing when to stop eating.
The best-known examples include Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Ikaria in Greece, Nicoya in Costa Rica – and Loma Linda in California, the only recognized Blue Zone in the US.
Dr Steven N. Austad, Scientific Director of the American Federation for Aging Research, warned the Blue Zones may not last forever: ‘Migration, urbanization, westernization and other factors may destroy a once-thriving Blue Zone,’ he warned.
