Chinese Academy of Engineering academician and epidemic prevention expert Zhong Nanshan marked his 90th birthday on Tuesday, October 20, by jogging to center court to throw the opening tip-off at a basketball tournament in Guangzhou. Despite undergoing surgery for a myocardial infarction in 2004 and managing hypertension for over two decades, Zhong displayed an athletic gait and high energy.

Second Nanshan Challenge Cup Opens in Guangzhou

The second edition of the Nanshan Challenge Cup basketball invitational tournament opened on Friday, October 16, in Guangzhou. Zhong jogged onto the stage to deliver opening remarks and launch the tournament’s opening match. Tech Daily reported that the physician exhibited a robust physical build and high energy throughout the event.

At 90, renowned Chinese respiratory specialist Zhong Nanshan jogged onto the court for the ceremonial tip-off at a basketball tournament. “Sport doesn’t just strengthen the body; it builds determination,” he said, crediting lifelong exercise with helping him stay active in… pic.twitter.com/kQ39mzgSmn

— https://x.com/shanghaidaily/status/2112504198449516582

Addressing the players and spectators at the venue, Zhong reflected on his own athletic background. He noted that watching the athletes enter the arena reminded him of his own youth six or seven decades prior, adding that his personal highlight was breaking the national record in the 400-meter hurdles.

Zhong recalled his training days in track and field and his participation in the National Games. “Basketball is a sport I am very passionate about, and I used to play matches regularly,” Zhong said at the venue, according to Tech Daily. He credited sports for building lifelong resilience, stating that his ability to sustain scientific research to this day is inseparable from his enduring exercise routine.

Athletic Background and Track Records

In 1958, he was selected for the Beijing municipal sports training team to prepare for the inaugural Chinese National Games. During an August 1958 test event, he posted a time of 54.2 seconds in the men's 400-meter hurdles, establishing a national record at the time.

Two years later, at the 1960 Beijing Municipal Games, Zhong secured the silver medal in the men’s decathlon. He remarked in later years that had he not chosen a career in medicine, he would have pursued professional athletics.

That athletic foundation faced severe tests later in life. Zhong suffered a sudden myocardial infarction in 2004 due to overwork, requiring the surgical implantation of a cardiac stent. He has also managed hypertension for more than 20 years alongside hereditary gout.

Resistance Training Routine and Health Advice

Zhong attributes his ability to maintain high-energy work schedules to treating exercise with the same priority as eating and sleeping. He exercises three times a week for 40 to 50 minutes per session. Beyond jogging, his fitness regimen relies heavily on resistance training, including pull-down expanders, rowing machines, and high-low bars. In television appearances, he has displayed a resistance expander on which he snapped one of five springs through sheer training force.

Zhong has frequently advocated for resistance training among older adults, cautioning against relying solely on walking or other aerobic exercises. Citing data, he noted that human muscle mass peaks at age 25, declines by 8% to 10% per decade after age 40, and accelerates to a 15% loss per decade after age 70. When muscle mass drops below 70% of its peak, the risk of injury, fractures, and mortality increases sharply.

Zhong emphasized that older adults should incorporate resistance training—such as lifting dumbbells, pulling resistance bands, or performing squats—to build muscle mass as a primary method for maintaining late-life health.

Tournament Schedule and Future Events

The Nanshan Challenge Cup basketball invitational tournament continues its schedule in Guangzhou following last week’s opening ceremonies.