Does Shifting the Age Category in Masters Athletics Significantly Change the Thermal Response to Exercise?

Due to involutional changes, the ability to perform physical exercise may undergo dynamic alterations. Therefore, the analysis of physiological parameters characterizing the response to competitive effort in the Masters athletes group can provide information about the condition of the athlete and any potential dysfunctions. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of physical effort (warm-up and competition) on changes in skin surface temperature (T _sk ) of the lower limbs in athletes across different age groups. Considering the abrupt changes in the functioning of various systems, the athletes were divided into three groups: 35–45 years, 50–65 years, and over 70 years of age. Thermographic imaging was applied at rest and immediately after the race. In the 35–45 age group, a statistically significant decrease in Tsk was observed after exercise, particularly in the area of the rectus femoris muscle of both lower limbs, with the largest reduction recorded for the right rectus femoris muscle (ΔT _sk = 0.63°C). Significant changes in Tsk were also found in the left biceps femoris muscle and the right gastrocnemius muscle. In the 50–65 and 70+ age groups, the changes were not statistically significant. The comparison between age groups did not reveal significant differences in the thermal profile either at rest or after exercise (p > 0.05). Similarly, the assessment of temperature asymmetry between the right and left lower limbs did not show statistically significant differences. In Masters athletes, neither the post-50 nor the post-70 age periods cause significant changes in the thermal profile, which suggests long-term adaptation due to athletic training.