IS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RELATED TO VO2max IN A 40-79 YEAR-OLD POPULATION?984

Abstract

Age-related declines in maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) are well documented in men and women, however, the rate of this decline varies considerably between individuals. The purpose of the study was to determine if age-related declines in VO2max could be explained by differences in habitual physical activity. Physical activity was assessed in 309, 40-79 year olds using the NASA/JSC physical activity questionnaire (PAQ). The PAQ, based on a 0-7 scale, categorized individuals into low, average, or high physical activity groups. VO2max was assessed via open-circuit spirometry, using a modified Balke protocol. VO2max was significantly related (r = 0.50, p<0.01) to PAQ scores for the entire group. Separating the sample into a 40-59, and 60+ subset, VO2max (ml/kg/min-1) values for both age groups and gender, were significantly different (p<0.001) for the 3 activity categories. For the 40-59 subset, VO2max values were 25.9, 27.9, & 33.0 for females, and 35.5, 35.7, & 42.4 for males, in the low, average and high activity categories, respectively. For the 60+ subset, VO2max values were 23.7, 23.6, & 24.5 for females, and 26.5, 28.9,& 33.0 for males, in the low, average and high activity categories, respectively. The PAQ proved to be a valuable measurement tool, giving credence to the importance of physical activity and its relationship to preserving VO2max.