Athletes stop learning new skills at age 28

Shattering conventional wisdom, a Bangladeshi sports scientist claimed that his new research proves that athletes stop learning as soon as they turn 28.

Professor Bipul Chandra Bose, or Dr BCB as he's known in sports circles, has been studying athletes all his life. He has been a mentor and coach for thousands of sportspeople who have gone on to carve out small, insignificant careers in their various fields. It is with this track record that Dr BCB set out to study over 300 Bangaldeshi athletes, mainly cricketers, to disprove a common notion.

"We've all heard the sentence 'There's no end to learning'. I did too, and it filled me with rage because of how wrong it was. For years, Bangladeshi cricketers have peaked in performance during their late 20s, and failed to improve further. People have blamed their lack of fitness, lack of desire to outdo themselves, and a general sense of satisfaction with mediocrity that may be tied to their internal superiority complex. But I never believed it," said Dr BCB, speaking at a seminar titled "How late is too late? It is time to stop trying".

"I believe Bangladeshi athletes stop improving after a certain time because it's impossible to improve after age 28. At that age, the muscles in a human body become frozen in time, the brain is like a shiny, smooth seashell that can absorb no more information."

"I believe Bangladeshi athletes stop improving after a certain time because it's impossible to improve after age 28. At that age, the muscles in a human body become frozen in time, the brain is like a shiny, smooth seashell that can absorb no more information. Whatever an athlete can learn must be learned before they are 28, and if you try to make them improve their game or add new skills to their repertoire, it can cause great disrespect," he added.

Answering a question from the audience, Dr BCB said this effect takes longer for non-athletes as they don't put their bodies through the rigours that athletes do in their youth. He used the examples of Bangladeshi parents -- especially fathers -- and how violently they react anytime their children point out that they might be mistaken about something.

"Bangladeshis, after a certain point in their life, simply cannot be better in any way. We age like a bottle of carbonated beverages, exciting at first, flat after a while, and absolutely not fit for human society afterwards," he said.

We age like a bottle of carbonated beverages, exciting at first, flat after a while, and absolutely not fit for human society afterwards.

When asked about how foreign athletes like MS Dhoni, Luka Modric, and Novak Djokovic can not only play until their late 30s and early 40s, but also improve every year, Dr BCB said, "Look, Bangladeshi athletes play with a level of passion and patriotism that is unmatched by any athlete in the world. If you love your country a lot and have enough belief that you can do anything with your passion, your skills will suffer. This is why Bangladeshi national teams win hearts, but not games."

Dr BCB prescribed the most efficient regimen for ageing Bangladeshi athletes.

"If you're 28 or older and doing anything that may make you a better player, like playing in a high standard foreign league, or training in a smart way to elevate parts of your game that may be lacking, you must stop now! The only way forward is to look back at whatever you've done in your youth, hope that it's enough to sustain a career until it's time to retire, and slowly become a less than average player. This is how all the legends of every sport in our country have done it. What makes you special?"