Abstract
It has been reported that the older individuals who continue to have a high level of physical activity maintain a high level of aerobic capacity regardless of inevitable decrease of maximal heart rate (HRmax). PURPOSE: We examined the influence of rowing training on the cardio-respiratory function of elderly individuals. METHODS: Fifteen older men (age, 62 ± 3 yr; height, 172 ± 3cm; body mass, 71 ± 5kg; body fat, 17 ± 4%), who have kept rowing training for 40 yrs, were compared to young untrained men matched for body size and composition (age, 24 ± 1 yr, height, 174 ± 5cm; body mass, 70 ± 8kg; body fat, 17 ± 5%). Older oarsmen wereü@alsoü@compared to young oarsmen matched for body size (age, 21 ± 2 yr, height, 174 ± 3cm; body mass, 71 ± 4kg; body fat, 11 ± 3%). All subjects underwent a progressive running test to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and HRmax, maximal expiratory ventilation (VEmax), and the oxygen (O2) pulse at VO2max. RESULTS: Older oarsmen possessed a lower HRmax than that young untrained men, and young oarsmen (172 vs. 199, 195 beatüEmin−1). Older oarsmen had a higher VO2max than young untrained men (3.3 vs. 3.0 lüEmin−1; 46.0 vs. 43.1 mlüEkg−1üEmin−1), but had a lower VO2max than young oarsmen (3.3 vs. 4.6 lüEmin−1; 46.0 vs. 64.3 mlüEkg−1üEmin−1). Older oarsmen possessed a lower O2 pulse at VO2max than young oarsmen (19 vs. 24 mlüEbeat−1), but had a higher O2 pulse than young untrained men (19 vs. 15 mlüEbeat−1). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that rowing exercise renders older individuals maintain a high aerobic capacity exceeding that young untrained men, and that rowing is one of desirable exercises to produce health benefits for the older people. Supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (PI: M. Higuchi) and a Foundation for Comprehensive Research on Aging and Health from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (PI: Y. Sato, M. Higuchi).
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