Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 77, Issue 2 647-652, Copyright © 1994 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Contribution of body composition and physical activity to age-related decline in peak VO2 in men and women

M. J. Toth, A. W. Gardner, P. A. Ades and E. T. Poehlman
Department of Medicine and Gerontology Research Education, University of Maryland.

We examined the contribution of variations in body composition and leisure time physical activity to the age-related decline in peak oxygen consumption (VO2) in men and women. Healthy males 17-80 yr old (n = 378) and females 18-81 yr old (n = 224) were characterized for peak VO2 from a treadmill test to exhaustion, fat-free mass and fat mass by underwater weighing, and leisure time physical activity. Peak VO2 showed a greater absolute decline (P < 0.05) with age in males (r = -0.70, slope = -0.034 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01) than in females (r = -0.78, slope = -0.028 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01). After statistically controlling for differences in fat-free mass and fat mass, the decline in peak VO2 was diminished in both sexes, although a greater rate of decline persisted in males (r = -0.47, slope = -0.016 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01) than in females (r = -0.39, slope = -0.009 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01). We found that the addition of leisure time physical activity (independent of body composition) to the regression model further attenuated the rate of decline in males (r = -0.40, slope = -0.013 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01) but did not alter the age-related decline in peak VO2 in females (r = -0.39, slope = -0.009 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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