# Why are old people slow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506 "2004-04-06T05:16:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tanach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@Tanach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanach)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/1 "2004-04-06T05:16:44Z")
I have noticed that some – (what is the right term?) – “people of age” tend to have an increased lag time between stimulus and response. For instance, if you say something to someone and they turn their head in response to the noise, but not fully understanding what it was that you said for 1 to 2 seconds later. What is the physical mechanism that causes this to happen? Clearly the mechanical systems function when their head turns in response to sound, but why do those neurons fire faster than those that formulate the thought and response? Or am a I even thinking about this right, in terms of synaptic fire rates? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/2 "2004-04-06T05:27:07Z")
I’m sixty. And that’s a very good question. Wake me if they find a cure. What? ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/3 "2004-04-06T06:58:14Z")
Maybe they’ve figured out that it’s best to think about things before opening their mouths. At any rate,just hang around long enough and it will all become quite clear. All you have to do is remember the question. Good luck. I’m sixty,um,um,um,FOUR,that’s it! ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/4 "2004-04-06T07:39:53Z")
well i dont know what is THE cause, but lowered testosterone and growth hormone levels play a role. hormone replacement therapy helps to a degree. have you heard of steroid rage ( roid rage ) ? it happens because steroids support your central nervous system. think of the old guys as the opposite of roid rage. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/5 "2004-04-06T08:13:34Z")
Our EMT classes made the very general statement that as someone ages past 30 that body systems decay at appx 1% per year. I also believe that the mylan sheath that covers your nerves aid in, and allow for much faster, conduction also begin to degrade as you age. This results in slower reflexes and thoughts. I’m looking for citations to support this…but I’m sleepy, and dial up is failing me…give me a day or so… ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/6 "2004-04-06T13:01:40Z")
You ever see old folks in the deli line? They’ll knock your ass over and bark out instructions for how they want their lunch meat cut faster that Speedy Gonzalez on crack. You ever see them playing the slots? Try walking towards one of the 37 machines they are playing simultaneously and see how fast they stop you. Tryu cruising through a wholesale club, and as you approach one of the free sample stations, be prepared to be lapped by several grannies. I am a firm believer in my theory that people act old because they think that’s how they are supposed to act and feel. They are playing a role created by perceptions and stereotypes of what old people should be. Oh, try beating them to the prescritpion counter, or go to a bakery where you grab rolls straight out of the over. They’ll bag a dozen for every three you even think about. And when it comes to bagging groceries, stand back and watch artists work it like a speed bag. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/7 "2004-04-06T14:35:01Z")
I’d hit you with my &%$#in’ cane… if you’d slow down a little. J/K, I’ve been like this ever since I got my AARP card. ## No reason to be PC on the straight dope so why not just say why do we slow down as we get older. Referring to “people of age” makes it sound like you don’t ever expect to be one yourself. 😉 Padye - card carrying geezer who will show said card for 5% discount ---
**Author:** ![olefin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/8 "2004-04-06T14:48:41Z")
> [@ageless6](#): > > Maybe they’ve figured out that it’s best to think about things before opening their mouths. > > At any rate,just hang around long enough and it will all become quite clear. All you have to do is remember the question. 😃 I like all of that! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/9 "2004-04-06T14:59:40Z")
I think generally they are thinking, “How many times do I have to answer the same shit? Should I tell him to ‘fuck off’ or will I just answer…ahhh it’ll be easier to just answer.” “No I don’t want any fries with it.” ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/10 "2004-04-06T15:26:46Z")
You know the expression “Don’t sweat the small stuff”? By the time you reach their age, they realize that its ALL small stuff! ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/11 "2004-04-06T15:39:59Z")
> [@](#): > > I am a firm believer in my theory that people act old because they think that’s how they are supposed to act and feel. They are playing a role created by perceptions and stereotypes of what old people should be. This is pretty near the absolute truth. Age does slow us down, and our reflexes, sight, hearing, etc, diminish but not to the extent we are told they should. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/12 "2004-04-06T15:49:40Z")
Does the knee tapping with hammer trick that doctors like doing, show that nerve reaction slows down with increased age? I did some studying of nerves in connection with neural network research, but age effect on nerves was never of interest in what I did. If there is a degeneration with age, does anyone know if …the nerve impulses become slower (higher resistance), the neuron firing become slower/weaker (damage to the neurons), the neurotransmitters become less concentrated (degeneration in the synaptic gaps), or the signal transfer become more ‘noisy’ (interference from other neurons)? or something else entirely? ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/13 "2004-04-06T16:21:48Z")
> [@Tanach](#): > > I have noticed that some – (what is the right term?) – “people of age” tend to have an increased lag time between stimulus and response. For instance, if you say something to someone and they turn their head in response to the noise, but not fully understanding what it was that you said for 1 to 2 seconds later. > > What is the physical mechanism that causes this to happen? Clearly the mechanical systems function when their head turns in response to sound, but why do those neurons fire faster than those that formulate the thought and response? Or am a I even thinking about this right, in terms of synaptic fire rates? “Old People” are slow for several reeasons: Wherever it is you’re in a hurry to get to-------they’ve been there. What you say to them has to be evaluated to be found worthy of an answer. What ever it is you can’t wait to experience-----they’ve done. Wherever you’re speeding to get to------hasn’t disappeared. When you get there with tires smoking -----they know it’ll still be there when they arrive. All of the material things which you enjoy were created by their generation and those before. And like the old bull said to the young bull who wanted to run down the hill and knock off a cow-----" Let’s walk down slowly and get them all." And there’s the military adage which demands that “hurry up” is always follwed by “wait” Those are just a few-----I’m sure others will add some more!. . EZ ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de053/32.png) [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/14 "2004-04-06T16:54:05Z")
My pet theory, with no clinical support that I know of, is that a person’s perception of time operates relative to their personal experience. To a five year old, each minute represents a certain fraction of their entire conscious life up to that point. To a sixty-five year old, that minute represents a much smaller fraction of their experience. The rest of the world is therefore perceived by a five year old as moving rather slowly, and by a sixty-five year old as moving rather quickly. Thus the old guy driving in front of you who slows down a mile before his turn is a manifestation of the same principle as the kid in your back seat constantly asking “Are we there yet?” ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/15 "2004-04-06T17:09:57Z")
> [@Umbriel](#): > > Thus the old guy driving in front of you who slows down a mile before his turn is a manifestation of the same principle as the kid in your back seat constantly asking “Are we there yet?” I like this. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-people-slow/238506/16 "2004-04-06T19:28:43Z")
The more data you have to sort through, the longer it takes to do a search. Also, by the time you get to be my age, you realize that a lot of the questions that _you_ think should simply have a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, really have a ‘but’ attached to them.