Donate Help Contact The AHA Sign In Home
American Heart Association
Circulation
Search: search_blue_button Advanced Search
Circulation. 2001;104:1350-1357

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Data Supplement
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by McGuire, D. K.
Right arrow Articles by Mitchell, J. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by McGuire, D. K.
Right arrow Articles by Mitchell, J. H.
Right arrowPubmed/NCBI databases
Medline Plus Health Information
*Seniors' Health
Related Collections
Right arrow Exercise/exercise testing/rehabilitation

(Circulation. 2001;104:1350.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.


Clinical Investigation and Reports

A 30-Year Follow-Up of the Dallas Bed Rest and Training Study

I. Effect of Age on the Cardiovascular Response to Exercise

Darren K. McGuire, MD, MHSc; Benjamin D. Levine, MD; Jon W. Williamson, PhD; Peter G. Snell, PhD; C. Gunnar Blomqvist, MD, PhD; Bengt Saltin, MD; Jere H. Mitchell, MD

From the Pauline and Adolph Weinberger Laboratory for Cardiopulmonary Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (D.K.M., B.D.L., J.W.W., P.G.S., C.G.B., J.H.M.); Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, Tex (B.D.L.); and Copenhagen Muscle Research Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (B.S.).

Correspondence to Darren K. McGuire, MD, MHSc, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390-9047. E-mail darren.mcguire{at}utsouthwestern.edu

Background— Cardiovascular capacity declines with aging, as evidenced by declining maximal oxygen uptake ({image}O2max ), with little known about the specific mechanisms of this decline. Our study objective was to assess the effect of a 30-year interval on body composition and cardiovascular response to acute exercise in 5 healthy subjects originally evaluated in 1966.

Methods and Results— Anthropometric parameters and the cardiovascular response to acute maximal exercise were assessed with noninvasive techniques. On average, body weight increased 25% (77 versus 100 kg) and percent body fat increased 100% (14% versus 28%), with little change in fat-free mass (66 versus 72 kg). On average, {image}O2max decreased 11% (3.30 versus 2.90 L/min). Likewise, {image}O2max decreased when indexed to total body mass (43 versus 31 mL · kg-1 · min-1) or fat-free mass (50 versus 43 mL/kg fat-free mass per minute). Maximal heart rate declined 6% (193 versus 181 bpm) and maximal stroke volume increased 16% (104 versus 121 mL), with no difference observed in maximal cardiac output (20.0 versus 21.4 L/min). Maximal AV oxygen difference declined 15% (16.2 versus 13.8 vol%) and accounted for the entire decrease in cardiovascular capacity.

Conclusions— Cardiovascular capacity declined over the 30-year study interval in these 5 middle-aged men primarily because of an impaired efficiency of maximal peripheral oxygen extraction. Maximal cardiac output was maintained with a decline in maximal heart rate compensated for by an increased maximal stroke volume. Most notably, 3 weeks of bedrest in these same men at 20 years of age (1966) had a more profound impact on physical work capacity than did 3 decades of aging.


Key Words: aging • oxygen • exercise • body composition




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
H. Tanaka and D. R. Seals
Endurance exercise performance in Masters athletes: age-associated changes and underlying physiological mechanisms
J. Physiol., January 1, 2008; 586(1): 55 - 63.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
B. D. Levine
: what do we know, and what do we still need to know?
J. Physiol., January 1, 2008; 586(1): 25 - 34.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
M. J. Lyon, L. M. Steer, and L. T. Malmgren
Stereological estimates indicate that aging does not alter the capillary length density in the human posterior cricoarytenoid muscle
J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2007; 103(5): 1815 - 1823.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
DiabetesHome page
M. T. Hamilton, D. G. Hamilton, and T. W. Zderic
Role of Low Energy Expenditure and Sitting in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease
Diabetes, November 1, 2007; 56(11): 2655 - 2667.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
HypertensionHome page
D. H.J. Thijssen, M. T.E. Hopman, and B. D. Levine
Endothelin and Aged Blood Vessels: One More Reason to Get Off the Couch?
Hypertension, August 1, 2007; 50(2): 292 - 293.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J Am Coll CardiolHome page
M. F. O'Rourke and J. Hashimoto
Mechanical Factors in Arterial Aging: A Clinical Perspective
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., July 3, 2007; 50(1): 1 - 13.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A. J. Nelson and G. A. Iwamoto
Reversibility of exercise-induced dendritic attenuation in brain cardiorespiratory and locomotor areas following exercise detraining
J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2006; 101(4): 1243 - 1251.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
E. P. Weiss, R. J. Spina, J. O. Holloszy, and A. A. Ehsani
Gender differences in the decline in aerobic capacity and its physiological determinants during the later decades of life
J Appl Physiol, September 1, 2006; 101(3): 938 - 944.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci.Home page
J. M. Dhahbi, T. Tsuchiya, H.-J. Kim, P. L. Mote, and S. R. Spindler
Gene expression and physiologic responses of the heart to the initiation and withdrawal of caloric restriction.
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., March 1, 2006; 61(3): 218 - 231.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
F. A Dinenno, S. Masuki, and M. J Joyner
Impaired modulation of sympathetic {alpha}-adrenergic vasoconstriction in contracting forearm muscle of ageing men
J. Physiol., August 15, 2005; 567(1): 311 - 321.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CirculationHome page
J. L. Fleg, C. H. Morrell, A. G. Bos, L. J. Brant, L. A. Talbot, J. G. Wright, and E. G. Lakatta
Accelerated Longitudinal Decline of Aerobic Capacity in Healthy Older Adults
Circulation, August 2, 2005; 112(5): 674 - 682.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
K. E. Eklund, K. S. Hageman, D. C. Poole, and T. I. Musch
Impact of aging on muscle blood flow in chronic heart failure
J Appl Physiol, August 1, 2005; 99(2): 505 - 514.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Exp PhysiolHome page
L. W. J Bogert and J. J van Lieshout
Non-invasive pulsatile arterial pressure and stroke volume changes from the human finger
Exp Physiol, July 1, 2005; 90(4): 437 - 446.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
H. B Rossiter, R. A Howlett, H. H Holcombe, P. L Entin, H. E Wagner, and P. D Wagner
Age is no barrier to muscle structural, biochemical and angiogenic adaptations to training up to 24 months in female rats
J. Physiol., June 15, 2005; 565(3): 993 - 1005.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci.Home page
M. Haykowsky, J. McGavock, I. Vonder Muhll, M. Koller, S. Mandic, R. Welsh, and D. Taylor
Effect of Exercise Training on Peak Aerobic Power, Left Ventricular Morphology, and Muscle Strength in Healthy Older Women
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., March 1, 2005; 60(3): 307 - 311.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CirculationHome page
A. Arbab-Zadeh, E. Dijk, A. Prasad, Q. Fu, P. Torres, R. Zhang, J. D. Thomas, D. Palmer, and B. D. Levine
Effect of Aging and Physical Activity on Left Ventricular Compliance
Circulation, September 28, 2004; 110(13): 1799 - 1805.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
R. T. Hepple and J. E. Vogell
Anatomic capillarization is maintained in relative excess of fiber oxidative capacity in some skeletal muscles of late middle-aged rats
J Appl Physiol, June 1, 2004; 96(6): 2257 - 2264.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
T. I. Musch, K. E. Eklund, K. S. Hageman, and D. C. Poole
Altered regional blood flow responses to submaximal exercise in older rats
J Appl Physiol, January 1, 2004; 96(1): 81 - 88.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A. A. Ehsani, R. J. Spina, L. R. Peterson, M. R. Rinder, K. L. Glover, D. T. Villareal, E. F. Binder, and J. O. Holloszy
Attenuation of cardiovascular adaptations to exercise in frail octogenarians
J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2003; 95(5): 1781 - 1788.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A. E. Pimentel, C. L. Gentile, H. Tanaka, D. R. Seals, and P. E. Gates
Greater rate of decline in maximal aerobic capacity with age in endurance-trained than in sedentary men
J Appl Physiol, June 1, 2003; 94(6): 2406 - 2413.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CirculationHome page
T. A. Markel, J. C. Daley III, C. S. Hogeman, M. D. Herr, M. H. Khan, K. S. Gray, A. R. Kunselman, and L. I. Sinoway
Aging and the Exercise Pressor Reflex in Humans
Circulation, February 11, 2003; 107(5): 675 - 678.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CirculationHome page
D. K. McGuire, B. D. Levine, J. W. Williamson, P. G. Snell, C. G. Blomqvist, B. Saltin, and J. H. Mitchell
A 30-Year Follow-Up of the Dallas Bed Rest and Training Study: II. Effect of Age on Cardiovascular Adaptation to Exercise Training
Circulation, September 18, 2001; 104(12): 1358 - 1366.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]