Longitudinal changes in aerobic power in older men and women

1 Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, 2 School of Kinesiology, and 3 Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6G 2M3; and 4 School 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 O 2 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 O 2 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 O 2 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 Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: D. H. Paterson, Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, 1490 Richmond St. N, London, ON, Canada N6G 2M3 (E-mail: dpaterso{at}uwo.ca ).