Age-related slowing of sensorimotor reaction time in masters track and field athletes

Introduction Masters athletes offer a powerful model for understanding how lifelong training shapes age‑related changes in reaction time (RT), a key indicator of sensorimotor performance. Purpose This cross-sectional study examined RT in masters track and field athletes across age, sex, RT tasks of varying complexity, and event disciplines (endurance, power, sprint) Methods A total of 182 competitors (82 females) from the 2025 World Masters Athletics Championships completed four RT tasks using a wireless light-based testing system. Results RT increased progressively with age across all tasks, with the slowest responses consistently observed in athletes ≥80 years old. Female athletes demonstrated slower RT than males, and RT increased systematically with task complexity. Sprint athletes showed faster RT than endurance athletes overall, although event‑specific differences did not persist within age groups. Age was positively associated with RT in all tasks (r = 0.41–0.53), with similar correlation strengths between sexes. Quadratic age effects emerged selectively in male athletes for two-hand simple and step-choice tasks, suggesting accelerated slowing at older ages in tasks requiring greater motor coordination. Linear regression models indicated that RT increased by approximately 3.3–3.6 ms per year of age after adjusting for sex, task, and event discipline, while body composition variables were not significant predictors. Conclusions Although lifelong training is associated with better sensorimotor performance, slower RT remains evident in masters athletes, with consistent sex differences and minimal influence of event discipline.