Exercise performance and cardiovascular health variables in 70-year-old male soccer players compared to endurance-trained, strength-trained and untrained age-matched men.
The aim was to investigate performance variables and indicators of cardiovascular health profile in elderly soccer players (SP, n = 11) compared to endurance-trained (ET, n = 8), strength-trained (ST, n = 7) and untrained (UT, n = 7) age-matched men. The 33 men aged 65-85 years underwent a testing protocol including measurements of cycle performance, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and body composition, and muscle fibre types and capillarisation were determined from m. vastus lateralis biopsy. In SP, time to exhaustion was longer (16.3 ± 2.0 min; P < 0.01) than in UT (+48%) and ST (+41%), but similar to ET (+1%). Fat percentage was lower (P < 0.05) in SP (-6.5% points) than UT but not ET and ST. Heart rate reserve was higher (P < 0.05) in SP (104 ± 16 bpm) than UT (+21 bpm) and ST (+24 bpm), but similar to ET (+2 bpm), whereas VO2max was not significantly different in SP (30.2 ± 4.9 ml O2 · min(-1) · kg(-1)) compared to UT (+14%) and ST (+9%), but lower (P < 0.05) than ET (-22%). The number of capillaries per fibre was higher (P < 0.05) in SP than UT (53%) and ST (42%) but similar to ET. SP had less type IIx fibres than UT (-12% points). In conclusion, the exercise performance and cardiovascular health profile are markedly better for lifelong trained SP than for age-matched UT controls. Incremental exercise capacity and muscle aerobic capacity of SP are also superior to lifelong ST athletes and comparable to endurance athletes.
a Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
Morten Bredsgaard
MB
Randers
Jesper L
JL
Andersen
Jesper
J
Petersen
Emil
E
Sundstrup
Markus D
MD
Jakobsen
Jens
J
Bangsbo
Bengt
B
Saltin
Peter
P
Krustrup
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D002196:Capillaries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D055070:Resistance Training; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006003:Glycogen; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase
association football; body composition; heart rate reserve; maximal oxygen uptake; muscle capillarisation; muscle fibre types