Which factor does NOT affect athletic performance?

Athletic performance is influenced by a variety of factors, including nutrition, weather conditions, and skill level. Nutrition plays a crucial role in energy levels, recovery, and overall physical health, which directly impacts an athlete's ability to perform. Weather conditions can also significantly affect performance; for example, humidity, temperature, and wind can impact an athlete’s endurance and speed. Skill level, which encompasses both technique and tactical understanding of the sport, is another key determinant of success.

While age can influence physical capabilities and recovery times, many athletes continue to compete at high levels well into what might traditionally be considered older age ranges; thus, it is not an absolute determinant of athletic performance. Other factors such as training and mental preparedness can mitigate the effects of aging. Therefore, considering its variable impact, age is viewed as the factor that does not definitively affect athletic performance in the same way as the other options listed.