Effects of Age and Sex on Reaction Time in Masters Track and Field Athletes

Reaction time (RT) is a key indicator of cognitive processing speed and plays a critical role in athletic performance. Investigating RT in masters athletes can provide valuable insight as it may help disentangle age-related cognitive processing from physical decline. However, it is unknown whether masters athletes exhibit age-related declines in RT and whether sex and task complexity modulate these changes. PURPOSE: To evaluate RT in male and female masters track-and-field athletes varying in age. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-two masters athletes were recruited from the 2025 World Masters Athletics Indoor Track and Field Championships in Florida. Four RT tests (one-hand simple, two-hand simple, one-hand choice, and choice step) were conducted using a wireless light-based testing system. For each test, participants were instructed to deactivate a random sequence of light sensors, which activated one at a time, as quickly as possible. RESULTS: Male (n=100) and female (n=82) athletes were similar in age (63 ± 14 vs. 61 ± 13 years) and BMI (25 ± 4 vs. 23 ± 4 kg/m2). Male athletes demonstrated faster RT compared with female athletes at any given age for all RT tests (pCONCLUSION: In masters track-and-field athletes, RT slows progressively with advancing aging. The age-related increase in male and female RT was similar across all RT tasks, without a significant influence of task complexity. Male athletes demonstrate faster RT than their female peers but appear to slow more sharply at later decades.