Exercise cardiac function in young through elderly endurance trained women

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Cardiovascular aging
• Sports science

Background:

• Endurance training (ET) enhances aerobic power.
• Aging is associated with a decline in physiological functions.
• Understanding age-related changes in ET women is crucial for maintaining performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physiological mechanisms behind the age-related decline in aerobic power (VO2max) in endurance-trained women.
• To examine changes in blood volume and exercise cardiac function across different age groups of ET women.

Main Methods:

• Studied 23 endurance-trained women across four age groups (20-29, 40-45, 49-54, 58-63 years).
• Assessed blood volume, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and cardiac function during maximal exercise.
• Analyzed heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance.

Main Results:

• VO2max declined progressively with age at a rate of 0.51 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) x yr(-1).
• Maximal exercise showed increased total peripheral resistance and decreased heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output with aging.
• Blood volume remained constant; diastolic filling was consistently faster than systolic emptying.

Conclusions:

• The decline in VO2max in aging ET women is attributed to reduced maximal heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output.
• Diastolic cardiac function, not systolic, is the primary advantage in exercise performance for ET women across all ages.
• These findings highlight the importance of diastolic function in maintaining cardiovascular performance in aging endurance athletes.