Figure 3.

Performance–age reaction norms in elite athletes. This figure shows previously undetected ageing trade-offs in decathletes (top row) and heptathletes (bottom row). Performance in (a) discus and (b) 1500 m as function of age, showing individual reaction norms of all athletes (thin black lines) and two illustrative individuals with contrasting slopes for discus and 1500 m (blue line and triangles versus red line and dots). (c) Relationship between individual slope estimates for discus and 1500 m (red and blue symbols denote same individuals as in (a) and (b)). (d) Heat map showing all slope-slope correlations estimated by the multivariate random regression model. Thus, (c) illustrates one of the many slope–slope correlations in (d) (the correlation depicted is identified by a green frame). Performance in (e) javelin and (f) 200 m as function of age, showing individual reaction norms of all athletes (thin black lines) and two illustrative individuals (blue and red lines). (g) Relationship between individual slope estimates for javelin and 200 m (red and blue symbols denote same individuals as in (e) and (f)). (h) Heat map showing all slope–slope correlations estimated by the multivariate random regression model. Times for running events were multiplied by −1 such that larger values indicate better performance and all traits were standardized (mean = 0, variance = 1).