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Effort tolerance in elderly women with different physical activity backgrounds
M Kallinen1, H Suominen, O Vuolteenaho
1Peurunka-Medical Rehabilitation and Physical Exercise Centre, Laukaa, Finland. mauri.kallinen@peurunka.fi
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|February 25, 1998
Summary
Physically active elderly women show better exercise capacity, but inexperience and health issues limit endurance in older women. Atrial natriuretic peptide levels increased post-exercise, with C-ANP showing stronger correlations with physiological measures.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Exercise Physiology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Background:
- Effort tolerance in elderly women is influenced by physical activity levels.
- Understanding cardiac load indicators like atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is crucial for assessing exercise capacity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare effort tolerance between physically active (PA) and sedentary control (CO) elderly women.
- To investigate the relationship between exercise intensity, cardiac load markers (C-ANP and N-ANP), and effort tolerance.
Main Methods:
- 52 PA and 42 CO women (aged 66-85) underwent maximal cycle ergometer testing.
- Measurements included oxygen uptake, heart rate, and plasma levels of C-ANP and N-ANP.
- Reasons for exercise termination were recorded.
Main Results:
- PA women had significantly higher peak oxygen uptake than CO women.
- Many participants terminated exercise before maximum exertion due to various factors.
- Both C-ANP and N-ANP increased post-exercise, with C-ANP showing significant correlations with physiological variables.
Conclusions:
- Inexperience with physical exertion and medical/physiological factors limit effort tolerance in elderly women.
- Differences in C-ANP and N-ANP responses suggest distinct postsecretory mechanisms.
- Physical activity background significantly impacts exercise capacity in older women.