Cardiac Response to Exercise in Normal Ageing: What Can We Learn from Masters Athletes?

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Aging leads to cardiac and vascular decline, increasing Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk.
• Older adults are often inactive, not meeting physical activity guidelines.
• Master athletes exhibit superior functional capacity compared to sedentary peers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review studies comparing cardiac structure and function in master athletes versus controls.
• To understand how training impacts age-related cardiac changes.
• To differentiate inevitable aging effects from preventable decline.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing research.
• Comparison of cardiac structure and function metrics.
• Inclusion of studies on master athletes and age-matched healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Master athletes maintain better cardiac function than sedentary individuals.
• Cardiac function in master athletes can be comparable to younger non-athletes.
• Training may mitigate some age-associated cardiac decline.

Conclusions:

• Well-trained older athletes serve as a model to study aging effects on the heart.
• Exercise is a key factor in preserving cardiac function during aging.
• Further research can clarify the extent of 'true' age-related cardiac reduction.