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HIGHLIGHTED TOPICS
Physiology of Aging

Longitudinal changes in aerobic power in older men and women

¹Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, ²School of Kinesiology, and ³Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6G 2M3; and ⁴School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4P 2R6

Submitted 1 May 2003 ; accepted in final form 24 March 2004

The purpose of this study was to describe the longitudinal (10 yr) decline in aerobic power [maximal O₂ uptake (O_{2 max})] and anaerobic threshold [ventilatory threshold (T_E)] of older adults living independently in the community. Ten years after initial testing, 62 subjects (34 men, mean age 73.5 ± 6.4 yr; 28 women, 72.1 ± 5.3 yr) achieved O_{2 max} criteria during treadmill walking tests to the limit of tolerance, with T_E determined in a subset of 45. O_{2 max} in men showed a rate of decline of –0.43 ml·kg^–1·min^–1·yr^–1, and the decline in O_{2 max} was consequent to a lowered maximal heart rate with no change in the maximum O₂ pulse. The women showed a slower rate of decline of O_{2 max} of –0.19·ml·kg^–1·min^–1·yr^–1 (P < 0.05), again with a lowered HR_max and unchanged O₂ pulse. In this sample, lean body mass was not changed over the 10-yr period. Changes in O_{2 max} were not significantly related to physical activity scores. T_E showed a nonsignificant decline in both men and women. Groupings of young-old (65–72 yr at follow-up) vs. old-old (73–90 yr at follow-up) were examined. In men, there were no differences in the rate of O_{2 max} decline. The young-old women showed a significant decline in O_{2 max}, whereas old-old women, initially at a O_{2 max} of 19.4 ± 3.1 ml·kg^–1·min^–1, showed no loss in O_{2 max}. The longitudinal data, vs. cross-sectional analysis, showed a greater decline for men but similar estimates of the rates of change in women. Thus the 10-yr longitudinal study of the cohort of community-dwelling older adults who remained healthy, ambulatory, and independent showed a 14% decline in O_{2 max} in men, and a smaller decline of 7% in women, with the oldest women showing little change over the 10-yr period.

aerobic fitness; treadmill testing; maximal oxygen uptake; aging; oxygen pulse; physical activity

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