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Aerobic capacity in speed‐power athletes aged 20–90 years vs endurance runners and untrained participants
Author(s) -
Kusy K.,
Zieliński J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2012.01496.x
Subject(s) - aerobic capacity , medicine , vo2 max , athletes , heart rate , treadmill , endurance training , physical therapy , aerobic exercise , oxygen pulse , cardiology , blood pressure
We studied relationships between age and aerobic capacity in three groups of subjects adhering to different exercise modalities. A total of 203 men aged 20–90 years were examined: 52 speed‐power track and field athletes ( SP ), 89 endurance runners ( ER ) and 62 untrained individuals ( UT ). Maximal exercise characteristics were obtained during a graded treadmill test until exhaustion: oxygen uptake ( V ˙ O 2 m a x), heart rate ( HR max ), oxygen pulse ( O 2 Pulse max ) and maximal distance ( Dist max ). Information about training history and weekly training amount was collected. A linear model of regression was adopted.V ˙ O 2 m a xin SP was lower than in ER , but significantly higher than in UT . The cross‐sectional rates of decline in body mass‐adjustedV ˙ O 2 m a xand Dist max were significantly smaller in SP than in ER and UT . About 80 years of age, the levels ofV ˙ O 2 m a xand Dist max reached similar values in SP and ER . The decline in HR max , but not in O 2 Pulse max was suggested as a cardiac adaptation accounting for between‐group differences inV ˙ O 2 m a xloss. Weekly training volume was a significant positive predictor of age‐related changes in aerobic capacity. In conclusion, not only endurance, but also speed‐power exercise appears adequate to ensure an elevated aerobic capacity at old age.