title: Effects of endurance training on the cardiovascular system and water compartments in elderly subjects.
abstract: The effects of endurance training on the water compartments and the cardiovascular system were determined in 10 elderly subjects [age 62 +/- 2 yr, pretraining maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max)/kg = 25 +/- 2 ml . min-1 . kg-1 body wt]. They trained on a cycloergometer 3 times/wk for 16 wk (50-80% VO2 max, then 80-85% VO2 max). They were checked at 8 wk, 16 wk, and 4 mo after detraining. Training improved VO2 max (+16%) and induced plasma volume expansion (+11%). No change in total body water, extracellular fluid, interstitial and intracellular fluid volumes, fat-free mass, and body weight was detected in this small sample with training. Body fat mass decreased (-2.1 +/- 2.2 kg). Echocardiography at rest showed increased fractional shortening and ejection fraction and decreased left ventricular end-systolic dimension (P < 0.05). Blood volume expansion correlates with cardiac contractility and has an impact on cardiac function. These improvements are precarious, however, and are completely lost after 4 mo of detraining, when elderly subjects lose the constraints and the social stimulation of the imposed protocol.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie-Biologie du Sport, Faculté de Médecine, Auvergne, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Pickering
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fellmann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ritz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amonchot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vermorel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coudert
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001825:Body Fluid Compartments / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D004452:Echocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D010953:Plasma Volume / Q000502:physiology