Age, Reflexes, Sports: A Delicate Triangle with SCOT as Partner This article explores the intricate relationship between age, reflexes, sports performance, and injury risk, with a focus on how SCOT Dr. Naveen's Bone & Joint Clinic in Sholinganallur, Chennai can help athletes optimize their game throughout their careers. The Inevitable Decline: Reflexes and Muscle Memory with Age Reaction time, a key component of reflexes, peaks in early adulthood and gradually declines with age. This stems from two main culprits: Slower Nerve Conduction: The insulating sheath around nerves deteriorates as we age, hindering the speed of signal transmission between brain and muscles. Brain Changes: Over time, parts of the brain responsible for processing information and coordinating movement lose cells. Muscle memory, unlike reflexes, isn't directly affected by age in the same way. It refers to the brain's ability to store and recall well-rehearsed movement patterns. While the memor