HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (25) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tanaka, H. Articles by Seals, D. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tanaka, H. Articles by Seals, D. R.

HIGHLIGHTED TOPICS
Physiology of Aging

Invited Review: Dynamic exercise performance in Masters athletes: insight into the effects of primary human aging on physiological functional capacity

¹Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and ²Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309

Physiological functional capacity (PFC) is defined here as the ability to perform the physical tasks of daily life and the ease with which these tasks can be performed. For the past decade, we have sought to determine the effect of primary (healthy) adult human aging on PFC and the potential modulatory influences of gender and habitual aerobic exercise status on this process by studying young adult and Masters athletes. An initial approach to determining the effects of aging on PFC involved investigating changes in peak exercise performance with age in highly trained and competitive athletes. PFC, as assessed by running and swimming performance, decreased only modestly until age 60-70 yr but declined exponentially thereafter. A progressive reduction in maximal O₂ consumption (O_{2 max}) appears to be the primary physiological mechanism associated with declines in endurance running performance with advancing age, along with a reduction in the exercise velocity at lactate threshold. Because O_{2 max} is important in mediating age-related reductions in exercise performance and PFC, we then investigated the modulatory influence of habitual aerobic exercise status on the rate of decline in O_{2 max} with age. Surprisingly, as a group, endurance-trained adults appear to undergo greater absolute rates of decline in O_{2 max} with advancing age compared with healthy sedentary adults. This appears to be mediated by a baseline effect (higher O_{2 max} as young adults) and/or a marked age-related decline in exercise training volume and intensity (stimulus) in endurance-trained adults. Thus the ability to maintain habitual physical activity levels with advancing age appears to be a critical determinant of changes in PFC in part via modulation of maximal aerobic capacity.

maximal oxygen consumption; sex; physical activity

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Reider Live Long and Prosper Am. J. Sports Med., March 1, 2008; 36(3): 441 - 442. [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. J. Wright and B. C. Perricelli Age-Related Rates of Decline in Performance Among Elite Senior Athletes Am. J. Sports Med., March 1, 2008; 36(3): 443 - 450. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Tanaka and D. R. Seals Endurance exercise performance in Masters athletes: age-associated changes and underlying physiological mechanisms J. Physiol., January 1, 2008; 586(1): 55 - 63. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. DeVan and H. Tanaka Declines in ten-pin bowling performance with advancing age Age Ageing, November 1, 2007; 36(6): 693 - 694. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A F San Juan, F Gomez-Gallego, S Canete, C Santiago, M Perez, and A Lucia Does complete deficiency of muscle {alpha} actinin 3 alter functional capacity in elderly women? A preliminary report Br. J. Sports Med., January 1, 2006; 40(1): e1 - e1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]