title: The influence of age, gender, and training on exercise efficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in oxygen efficiency occur with aging or exercise training in healthy young and older subjects.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Exercise capacity declines with age and improves with exercise training. Whether changes in oxygen efficiency, defined as the oxygen cost per unit work, contributes to the effects of aging or training has not yet been defined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one healthy subjects were recruited into four groups of younger women (ages 20 to 33 years, n = 15), younger men (ages 20 to 30 years, n = 12), older women (ages 65 to 79 years, n = 16), and older men (ages 65 to 77 years, n = 18). All subjects underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing to analyze aerobic parameters before and after three to six months of supervised aerobic exercise training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before training, younger subjects had a much higher exercise capacity, as shown by a 42% higher peak oxygen consumption (VO2) (ml/kg/min, p < 0.0001). This was associated with an 11% lower work VO2/W (p = 0.02) and an 8% higher efficiency than older subjects (p = 0.03). With training, older subjects displayed a larger increase in peak W/kg (+29% vs. +12%, p = 0.001), a larger decrease in work VO2/W (-24% vs. -2%, p < 0.0001), and a greater improvement in exercise efficiency (+30% vs. 2%, p < 0.0001) compared to the young.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older age is associated with a decreased exercise efficiency and an increase in the oxygen cost of exercise, which contribute to a decreased exercise capacity. These age-related changes are reversed with exercise training, which improves efficiency to a greater degree in the elderly than in the young.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: J Susie
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Derleth
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Stratton
authors.forename: Wayne C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen