October 26, 2001 – A six-month intensive training program, four and a half hours of aerobic activity per week, has the power to reverse the aging process of the heart for 30 years. This is what Dr. McGuire of the University of Texas and his team discovered.
The study1 set out to assess the effects of aging and intensive training on the physical and cardiovascular health of five healthy men who had experienced the same type of ordeal thirty years previously. Although little data is available to understand the mechanisms of decline in cardiovascular capacity caused by aging, it is believed to be associated with maximum oxygen uptake capacity (maximum aerobic power) which aids in oxygenation of the lungs and proper functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Surprisingly, the study also shows that three weeks of bed rest for these same people at the age of 20 had a greater impact on their physical health than three decades of aging. During the study period, the researchers noted an average of 25% body weight gain and 100% fat gain among the five subjects. Their maximum oxygen uptake capacity decreased by 11% and their maximum heart rate dropped by 6%.
In addition, the six-month intensive training program allowed all five subjects to regain 100% of their aerobic capacity, thus returning them to the same cardiovascular health as in 1966. However, none of the subjects achieved the same degree of maximum oxygen uptake observed 30 years earlier after having followed the same type of training. According to the researchers, the improvement in the health of subjects after training is explained by the 10% increase in the capacity for maximum arteriovenous oxygen absorption.
Monique Lalancette – PasseportSanté.net
According to Medical News and Circulation, October 18, 2001.
1. McGuire DK, Levine BD, Williamson JW, Snell PG, Blomqvist CG, Saltin B, Mitchell JH.A 30-year follow-up of the Dallas Bedrest and Training Study: I. Effect of age on the cardiovascular response to exercise. Circulation 2001 Sep 18; 104 (12): 1350-7. A 30-year follow-up of the Dallas Bedrest and Training Study: II. Effect of age on cardiovascular adaptation to exercise training. Circulation 2001 Sep 18; 104 (12): 1358-66.
