150 years and beyond – what are the limits of human life expectancy?

The quest for immortality has always been a driving force for mankind, which has always been fascinated by new ways of prolonging life. As an established program component of MEDICA, the world's leading trade fair for medical technology and the healthcare sector, the 12th MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE will address the current state of research regarding the topic of longevity. MEDICA will be held from November 11 – 14, 2024 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

During the two-day conference on November 13 and 14, internationally renowned experts from the fields of sports medicine, sports science, physiotherapy as well as technical specialists will come together for an interdisciplinary dialogue concerning innovative approaches in prevention, performance medicine, regeneration and rehabilitation for both elite and health-promoting sports.

How biological age can be influenced

“It’s an algorithm that takes better care of me than I can myself”: this is how U.S. “longevity guru”, entrepreneur and investor Bryan Johnson describes his rigorous program to boost his own longevity, which also includes around a hundred different nutritional supplements. “Don’t die” seems to be Johnson’s motto. He will not be in Düsseldorf himself, but questions raised by his project will be present:

How can lifespan really be extended - and what doesn't help? Which diagnostics are useful and which are not? The MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE will provide answers.

“The science of ageing: The most important factors affecting biological age and the role of digital diagnostics (fact and fiction)” is the title of the talk by Dr. Lutz Graumann, doctor of sports medicine, chirotherapy and nutritional medicine and author of fitness books. This lecture will start off the first day of the 12th MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE. For Dr. Graumann, it seems obvious that lifestyle measures affect biological age. In his opening lecture, he will explore how biological age can be measured in a multidimensional way and what is particularly effective in this regard.

Sleeping well is a key factor

The influence effect of sleep on health is well documented. This will be explained by Dr. Alen Juginovic from the Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology. For instance, sleep quality affects cognitive function, immune response and the prevention of chronic illness. Juginovic’s study on the negative influence of inadequate sleep on professional football players at Real Madrid attracted a lot of attention in this context.

The MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE will of course also examine the question of which training is recommended. Epigenetics, the – mostly natural – changes to the DNA in the body’s cells and the associated long-term switching on and off of genes could provide an explanation for the long-term effects of physical activity. Professor Wilhelm Bloch from the Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine of the German Sport University Cologne deals with this topic. His conference presentation on Wednesday during MEDICA will address the special role of epigenetics with regard to longevity.

Sport as an anti-inflammatory

Inflammation also plays a role in the ageing process. What can be done to reduce inflammation in the body? Dr. Moritz Völker-Albert of MOLEQLAR analytics will address this topic in his lecture on epiproteomic analyses for customized training management in competitive and popular sports. Once again, nutritional supplements play a role here.

Organs such as the liver and heart as well as tissue – for example adipose tissue – produce exerkines during physical activity, which could explain the anti-inflammatory effect of exercise. However, many questions regarding the signal pathways and forms of movement, intensity and duration of physical activity, for example, still remain unanswered. Dr. Wouter Vints, a specialist in rehabilitation medicine at Maastricht University, will present the current state of knowledge in his lecture in the afternoon on November 13 (3:00 pm). In a session the following morning (November 14), internationally renowned sport medicine specialist Dr. Christian Schneider and Professor Oliver Werz, Department Head of the Chair of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, will demonstrate the new understanding of the connection between inflammation and peak performance.

What are the benefits of training the brain? Professor Claudia Voelcker-Rehage of the University of Münster will address this topic on the first day of the conference (November 13) and touch upon the concept of neuroplasticity. In addition, Professor Thorben Hülsdünker of LUNEX in Luxembourg will also cover the principles of brain training from the perspective of sports and neuroscience. In short, the 12th MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE. It will provide extensive insight into the state of knowledge on the subject of longevity and what factors constitute major or minor influences on the lifespan of each individual.

The future of competitive sport with high-tech and expertise

The event in Düsseldorf will of course also feature “classic” issues of sports medicine, such as how to achieve outstanding athletic performance while preventing injuries as much as possible. The California “P3” project is considered visionary for its performance measurement. Eric Leidersdorf is its Director of Biomechanics and heads assessment and research initiatives that use force plates and 3D motion capture technology in order to develop individualized training programs. “Peak Performance Project – Optimizing performance based on experience working with more than 800 NBA players” is the title of his session on November 14 in the morning. After Dr. Christian Schneider and Professor Oliver Werz have discussed the importance of inflammation in peak performance, Professor Patrick Wahl of the German Sport University Cologne will explain how metabolic and neuromuscular profiling can be used to individually customize training for swimmers.

Professor Sascha Schmidt will take a look at the future of competitive sport on November 14 at 12:00 pm. Will avatars compete against each other instead of humans at some point in the future? Even if this is unlikely to happen any time soon, the influence of technology on various sports and their rules is expected to grow significantly. This can be illustrated by the development of soccer, as reported by experts in a survey conducted by Schmidt.

Training with a digital twin

High performance and prevention (using technical innovations) will also be a topic in the following session on November 14 starting at 2:00 pm, when the focus will be on big data and the use of artificial intelligence. As part of a study, Professor Yael Nets of the Academic College Wingate in Israel used smartphone monitoring of training to individually customize exercises for older people and improve their motor skills in everyday life. With sufficient data, digital twins can also be created to optimize training. Professor Patrick Wahl of the German Sport University Cologne will present the current state of affairs in his conference presentation entitled “On the road to decision support and digital twins – diagnostics, monitoring and training in the age of artificial intelligence.”

In addition, data from devices used close to the body, known as wearables, can be used to optimize performance not only during training, but also in competitions. Professor Moritz Schumann, a specialist for sports medicine and exercise therapy at the Chemnitz University of Technology, will discuss the “transparent patient” and the “development of an ecosystem for real-time monitoring of remote training sessions with wearable devices.” Professor Bettina Wollesen of the University of Hamburg and Vice President of the German Association of Sports Science, will address prevention with adaptable and age-appropriate exoskeletons. These could help people to continue exercising even at an advanced age. The following session will present further innovations that are likely to cause a sensation in the coming years.

Get active at the MEDICA SPORTS HUB

Trade visitors at MEDICA 2024 can also get active themselves at the MEDICA SPORTS HUB in Hall 4 and try out innovations from the areas of Health & Fitness Monitoring, Training, Regeneration and the Pro Sports Corner on site. Everyone will have the opportunity to test new training methods on site, have their body fat and muscle mass determined on a scale or regenerate in an oxygen chamber. Access to the MEDICA SPORTS HUB’s activity area is available on all days of MEDICA, and there will be a program of keynote speeches and panel discussions on stage every hour on the hour between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm

For information about the MEDICA SPORTS HUB: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/msh2. For the MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFRERENCE program and participation: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/mmsc2.

Author: Dr Lutz Retzlaff, medical journalist (Neuss, Germany)

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at MEDICA 2024, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit https://www.medica-tradefair.com and www.mdna.com. Follow us on https://www.linkedin.com/company/mdnachicago/