Low to moderate intensity endurance training in healthy older adults: physiological responses after four months.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the physiological adaptations in previously sedentary healthy older men and women (mean age = 68) to a 16-week low-to-moderate-intensity exercise program.


METHODS
Randomized, controlled trial.


METHODS
An exercise facility and testing laboratory in a gerontological research institute.


METHODS
Two-hundred forty-seven community-dwelling older persons free of significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, or uncontrolled metabolic disease, anemia, electrolyte abnormality, resting BP of 165/90 or greater, or chronic disease affecting the ability to exercise on a bicycle.


METHODS
Subjects were randomly assigned to either an exercise (n = 166) or attention control group (n = 81). Exercisers trained thrice weekly for 40 minutes on a cycle ergometer (5-minute warm up, 30 minutes at training heart rate (THR), 5-minute cool down). THR was set at 70% of peak heart rate attained on a maximal exercise test (mean = 115 +/- 15). Control subjects attended weekly group talks. Testing took place before and after the program.


RESULTS
Peak attained oxygen uptake (VO2max) increased 8.5% in exercisers and decreased slightly in controls (p less than .001) and oxygen uptake at ventilatory threshold (VeT VO2) increased by 3.5% in exercisers and decreased by 3% in controls (p less than .001). This pattern of a greater increase in VO2max than VeT VO2 is different from that seen in young and middle-aged subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that a large scale training program is feasible for healthy older people, that physiologic improvements can be measured after 16 weeks of low-to-moderate-intensity training, and that mechanisms of adaptation to exercise may be different in elderly subjects from those in younger ones.
Posner
J D
JD
Gertrude and Jacob Arronson Foundation Laboratory of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center, Pennsylvania.
Gorman
K M
KM
Windsor-Landsberg
L
L
Larsen
J
J
Bleiman
M
M
Shaw
C
C
Rosenberg
B
B
Knebl
J
J
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption