Talks about staving off physical decline with exercise, dealing with terrorism, coping with dementia and easing the impacts of chronic illness are among those planned as UC Davis experts and the Center for Healthy Aging present the Coming of Age lecture series.
The free and open-to-the-public series kicked off this month and runs through Dec. 3.
Lectures run 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month in the UC Davis Cancer Center Auditorium, 4501 X St., in Sacramento.
UC Davis Sports Performance Program physician Massimo Testa will speak Tuesday, on aging as it relates to physical performance.
Testa came to the UC Davis program about a year ago at the request of UC Davis sports medicine physician and assistant professor Eric Heiden. During the late 1980s, the former Olympic gold-medalist raced bicycles professionally under Testa's supervision. The two have been friends since.
Others Testa has worked with include Davis' own professional triathletes Beth Zinkand and Steve Larson, four-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and the Sacramento Kings.
Working over the years with world-class athletes, Testa has observed again and again that while aging is inevitable, you can get time taken off for good - healthy - behavior.
"Mature adults can usually expect a 10 percent decrease in their fitness levels every 10 years," he said. Things like muscle mass, flexibility, endurance and a person's ability to process oxygen in the body are affected.
"But for people who train, that rate can be as low as 4 percent every 10 years," Testa said.
"With proper training, people above age 50 can have more aerobic power than people in their 20s or 30s," Testa said, recalling a client he started with in the mid-1980s.
Wired and attached by a mouthpiece to one of Testa's exercise bikes, the 38-year-old client - who was a smoker and had suffered three heart attacks - maxed his body's potential after generating only 75 watts of power.
He proceeded to drop the cigarettes and add regular exercise to his sedentary routine, Testa said. Now in his mid-50s, the client can generate 300 watts of power.
By comparison, a fit 30-year-old athlete, Brad Goodson, who visited Testa's office recently was generating about 260 watts.
"Fitness level is one of the strongest predictors of life span," Testa said. His talk will expand on that idea and other topics.
Other series talks:
Sept. 3 - "Nature's Experiment: Twin Studies of Cognition and Aging." Department of psychiatry associate professor William Kremen will discuss the role genetics plays versus the role the environment plays as people mature mentally.
Sept. 17 - "Terrorism and Sacramento…Should I Buy a Gass Mask?" Steven Tharratt, a professor of medicine and medical adviser for the Office of Emergency Services, will examine the threat of attack, from anthrax to dirty bombs.
Oct. 1 - "Can We Eliminate Heart Disease in This Century?" A professor of medicine and chief of cardiology at the Sacramento VA Medical Center, Saul Schaefer will talk about lifestyle changes and how new therapeutic agents can prevent cardiovascular disease.
Oct. 15 - "Mammography: Myths and Realities." Family and Community Medicine assistant professor Renee Crichlow will talk about how lifestyle, genetics and preventative measures factor in to minimizing breast cancer risk.
Nov. 5 - "Taking Responsibility for Your Health." Family and Community Medicine assistant professor Anthony Jerant will offer tips and information about managing chronic illness, including how to better communicate with physicians.
Nov. 19 - "Dealing with Dementia." Senior care home owners Carol Kinsel and Buck Shaw will talk about emotional, financial and other challenges associated with caring for Alzheimer's disease sufferers and how to overcome those challenges.
Dec. 3 - "Healing Versus Curing Throughout Life." Pediatrics professor Jay Milstein will recount first-hand dealing with critically ill neonatal patients and their families and how those experiences translate to people of all ages both in health and illness.