The interrelationship between physical exercise, muscle strength and body adiposity in a healthy elderly population

To determine the relationship between habitual physical exercise and body adiposity in a healthy elderly population.

Physical exercise was measured by a questionnaire previously adapted for use with the healthy elderly. The level of exercise was converted into calories expended over the previous 14 days and was divided into tertiles. Body adiposity was measured at six sites by anthropometry, and overall percent body fat was measured by bioelectric impedence.

Two hundred and thirteen healthy ambulatory subjects over the age of 60 (116 females and 97 males) were recruited from a large retirement community in Southern Arizona. The mean age of the subjects was 70.0 years.

Percent body fat was similar in men with different levels of physical activity (27.9% for lowest tertile of activity, 28.1% for middle tertile of activity, and 28.5% for highest tertile of activity). The corresponding values of percent fat in women was 38.0%, 36.0%, and 37%, respectively. There was a statistically significant increase in muscle strength measured in five muscle groups with a hand-held dynamometer with increasing levels of activity.

These data indicate that level of physical exercise, over the range of 0 to 1,528 Kcal/day, does not predict body adiposity in the healthy elderly population. To decrease body fat without a change in dietary habits would require a more intensive exercise regimen than currently being undertaken by most healthy elderly people.