Aging and Exercise

1
Aging and Exercise

• Chapter 32

2
New Gerontology

• In 1900s, 4 of population gt65 yrs, 1998
  increased to 13
• Average life expectancy 1900 47 years 2004
  76 years, 2050 83 years
• 63 of todays 65-year olds will achieve their
  85th birthday, and 24 will celebrate age 95
• Gerontology now focused on a more positive,
  dynamic notion of successful aging

3
Aging and Bodily Function
4
Causes of Death in U.S.
5
Nature of the Aging Process

• Involves diminished capacity to regulate the
  internal environment
• Impairs ability to meet metabolic and external
  challenges
• Physiological control mechanisms do not work as
  well in older people
• Genetic factors have profound influence on length
  of life
• Aging likely related in some way to abnormality
  in the genetic functioning of cells
• Aging also associated with an accumulation of
  insults and wear-and-tear that lead to the
  gradual loss of the ability to adapt to stress

6
(No Transcript)
7
Cardiovascular Function and Aging

• Maximal VO2 declines steadily after age 20,
  decreasing by 35 to 40 at age 65
• Exercise training enhances the hearts capacity
  to pump blood and increases aerobic capacity to
  the same relative regular degree as younger
  adults
• Nine to twelve months of endurance training
  increased VO2max 19 in men and 22 in women

8
Aging and Physiologic Function

• Cardiovascular function
• Aerobic capacity
• VO2max declines
• Increased extraction of oxygen from a reduced
  blood flow
• Central and peripheral functions
• Decreased max HR
• Decreased max cardiac output
• Reduced stroke volume
• Decreased capillarymuscle ratio
• Lifestyle or aging?
• Active individuals have less dramatic declines in
  function

9
Aging and Physiologic Function

• Cardiovascular function
• Endurance performance
• Declines after age 30
• Regular exercise slows the decline
• Aerobic trainability among the elderly
• Elderly respond well to exercise training

10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
Aging and Endurance Performance
14
Aging Effects on Strength and Flexibility

• Maximum strength between 20 to 30 yrs of age by
  70, 30 overall decrease
• Strength decreases with age because of reduction
  of muscle mass
• Regular exercise training retains body protein
  and blunts the loss of muscle mass and strength
  with aging
• Connective tissue becomes stiffer and more rigid,
  which reduces joint flexibility

15
Strength Changes

• Muscle strength decreases approximately 8 a
  decade after age 45, with a total decrement of
  30-40 between peak strength and strength at time
  of death
• Selective loss of Type II muscle fibers,
  decreasing strength and power
• Decrease in glycolytic enzymes

16
Aging and Physiologic Function

• Muscular strength
• Strength usually peaks between ages 20 40
• Muscle mass decreases after 40
• Power loss is greater than strength loss
• Arm strength deteriorates slower than leg
  strength
• Muscle mass decrease
• Resistance training among the elderly
• Elderly respond to weight training similar to
  younger adults

17
(No Transcript)
18
Aging Effects on Strength and Flexibility
Ages 60-72 yrs
19
Endocrine Changes with Aging
20
Aging and Physiologic Function

• Growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor
• Decreased growth hormone production
• Decreased insulin-like growth factor
• hormone replacement therapy
• Pulmonary function
• Static dynamic lung volumes decline
• Gas exchange kinetics slow during transition from
  rest to exercise

21
Aging and Endurance Performance
22
(No Transcript)
23
Aging and Body Composition
50 60 70
24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
Aging and Physiologic Function

• Body composition
• Men women gain body fat after age 18
• Training can slow this process
• Bone mass
• Skeletal demineralization occurs
• Osteoporosis results
• More common in women

27
Aging and Physiologic Function

• Trainability and age
• Traditionally it was
• thought that the
• elderly couldnt
• respond to training
• very well
• This view point has
• been modified

28
Improved Fitness A Little Goes a Long Way
29
(No Transcript)
30
Risk Factors for CHD

• Modifiable Cigarette smoking, obesity, physical
  inactivity, ECG abnormalities, HTN, Elevated
  blood lipids, Visceral-abdominal adiposity, DM,
  Pulmonary function abnormalities, Tension and
  stress, High fat diet, Elevated homocysteine
  levels
• Fixed Age, gender, heredity, race, male-pattern
  baldness

31
Physical Activity, Health, and Longevity

• Regular moderate exercise provides significant
  benefits
• Influence of physical fitness
• Strong inverse relationship among aerobic fitness
  and all causes of death, especially CV related
  deaths
• Structured exercise not necessary
• Increasing activity level does improve health
• Changing from sedentary to active, most evident