Exercise training in older men and women: Effects on cardiovascular and renal function

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of endurance exercise training on cardiovascular and renal function in healthy, older adults. Twenty-three sedentary men and women, 68.2 ± 4.6 (mean ± SD) years of age completed medical screening, including ECG studies and serum chemistries, graded exercise testing, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) determinations, and renal function testing prior to being randomly assigned to an exercise group (EG, n = 13), or to a non-exercising control group (CG, n = 10). The EG completed 16 weeks (3-bouts · wk−1) of supervised exercise training on treadmills and stair-climbers, progressing in intensity from 50% to 85% of maximal heart rate reserve. Effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured by single-bolus I.V. radioisotope injections, VO2max was measured during maximum exercise testing. The EG showed a significant increase in VO2max (from 21.8 ml · kg−1 min−1 to 26.0 ml · kg−1 · min−1; p = 0.0009), while the CG showed no change (p = 0.05). There were no significant changes in ERPF or GFR in either group after the 16-wk training or control periods (p > 0.05). These data suggest that although endurance exercise training improves cardiorespiratory function in older adults, renal function is neither improved nor adversely affected.