Factors Affecting Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Middle-Aged Men

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is “the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen during sustained physical activity (PA).” CRF is a well-established predictor of a wide range of negative health outcomes. Six-minute walk distance (6MWD) will very well aid in the assessment of CRF. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling on men aged 40–65 from the community of Ahmedabad. Six-minute walk test was used to assess CRF. All participants’ body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), PA levels (Rapid Assessment of PA [RAPA]), fatigue levels (Fatigue Severity Scale [FSS]), depression, anxiety, and stress were analyzed. Regression analysis was done using the SPSS 20.0 version. Results: Sixty-five participants with a mean age of 53.48 ± 7.76 years participated in the study. The mean 6MWD was 486.6 ± 110.13 m. Association of 6MWD with BMI was 1%, with WC was 2.2%, with RAPA was 28.9%, with FSS was 45.8%, with depression was 23.6%, with anxiety was 31.4%, and with stress was 38.1%. Conclusion: CRF of middle-aged men was found to be low. BMI and WC had minimal effect while PA levels, fatigue levels, depression, anxiety, and stress levels had an influence on CRF. Further studies should be designed to improve the factors affecting CRF in middle-aged men.