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Age 29 is when the average professional football player is at his best, a new study suggests.

Researchers believe the latest findings might help team executives build their roster.

Lead researcher James Brander of Sauder School of Business revealed that the performance of forwards peaks around the ages of 27 and 28, and defensemen peak between 28 and 29.

Researchers also found that players often perform close to their peak levels for a number of years before and after their optimal peak. Researchers believe the ranges are between 24 and 32 for forwards and 24 and 34 for defensemen.

"While confirming conventional wisdom that players peak in their late 20s, the study proves it is wishful thinking for managers to expect a player in his mid-20s to continue improving significantly," Brander, an economist, said in a news release. "The vast majority of players are at 90 per cent of their best by age 24, although there are a few late bloomers."

For the study, researchers said they used statistical models to estimate an average player's career arc.

Researchers said the latest findings are actually supported by the current outcome of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with players like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks in the prime age range. However, Kane stops short of predicting the ultimate victor based on his findings.

"If we just go by relative age of key players, a team like Chicago would appear to be in the best shape. But that's far from the whole story in the playoffs. Other things have a big effect, such as injuries and luck," he said.

The findings were published in the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports.