Aging and cognitive performance
Our mental abilities usually begin to decline when we reach our thirties. As we age, we might find it harder to recall things, remember words, sustain attention, solve problems, and multitask. In the later stages of life, this decline in cognitive ability can eventually lead to dementia.

Aging and physical performance
We become less able to perform physical activities as we get older because our bodies lose muscle mass and power, and gain fat tissue. Nerve conduction decreases, making our muscles less responsive. And our lung capacity and cardiac function decreases, making it harder to stay active and exercise.

Hallmarks of the aging process

• Body tissues lack oxygen
  Arteries become narrower, restricting the blood flow and oxygen supply to vital organs – a condition known as atherosclerosis.
• Mitochondria dysfunction
  Mitochondria are parts of our cells that generate energy for the body. They become less efficient and decrease in number as we age.
• Stem cell exhaustion
  Stem cells repair damage in our bodies. The number of stem cells we have decreases as we age, and those we do have become less efficient at regenerating our damaged tissue.
• Shortened telomeres
  Our DNA cells are constantly dividing. Telomeres are the protective caps at the end of each strand of DNA. They gradually become shorter as we get older, and eventually become so short the cell can no longer divide. These are known as senescent cells, and are one of the leading causes of aging.