Aerobic Training

(OLDER POPULATION)

Aerobic Training
Physiological Responses Physiological Adaptations

Physiological Responses
1) CARDIOVASCULAR
2) RESPIRATORY 3) METABOLIC

Cardiovascular Responses
Heart rate maximum

(HRmax) ----> Decreases. Eg. HRmax of children=200 beats/min HRmax of 60 years= 160 beats/min Every year HRmax DECREASES by less than 1 beat/min.
WHY?

Reasons:
1) Electrophysiological & Morphological changes in Cardiac Conducting System.
Slowing down of Cardiac Conduction Decrease in hearts Intrinsic Rate

Decrease in sensitivity of heart to Catecholamine

Stimulation

Cont..
2) Maximal stroke Volume (SVmax) = Decreases ( with age) 3) Maximal Cardiac Output (Qmax) = Decreases
BUT, Heart Volumes in older athletes are similar to

those of younger athletes.

Cont..
Leg Blood Flow DECREASES at 50 years of age,

because the Peripheral Resistance INCREASES as a person ages.

A STUDY SAYS: In older endurance trained athletes, Leg Blood Flow , Vascular Conductance, & Femoral Venous Oxygen Saturation were each LOWER by 20% - 30% in older men at each SUBMAXIMAL LEVEL WORK RATE, however, there is an INCREASED SUBMAXIMAL avO2 difference.

Respiratory
In old athletes :

Qmax DECREASES ----> So ----> VO2max DECREASES Vital Capacity (VC) & Forced Expiratory Volume in 1sec (FEV1)----> DECREASES linearly with age. WHEREAS----> Residual Volume (RV) = INCREASES AND ----> Total Lung Capacity (TLC) = REMAINS UNCHANGED. HENCE----> RV/TLC = INCREASES (So less air is exchanged)

Cont..
Maximal Expiratory Ventilation (Vmax) = DECREASES

Vmax----> Increases, during growth until physical maturity ----> Later----> Decreases, as a person ages.
40 L/min (4-6 years old boy) 110-140 L/min
(Fully matured men)

70-90 L/min (60-70 years old men)

Cont..
Aerobic Capacity = Decreases (with age).

Pulmonary changes that accompany aging are

primarily caused by a loss of elasticity in the lung tissue and the chest wall. However, aging athletes have only slightly decreased pulmonary ventilation capacity. For them, the primary limiter of VO2max appears to be decreased oxygen transport to the muscles.

Metabolic Function
1) VO2max = Decreases (with age)

Reasons:
Decrease in HRmax

Decreased VO2max

1
Decrease in SVmax 2

Decrease in Maximal a-vO2 difference

1-->2-->3-->.

A) Normally Active People:

Changes in VO2max. Among normally ACTIVE MEN: Age(years) VO2max, (mlkg-1min-1) % change, from 25 years

25

47.7

35
45 52 63 75

43.1
39.5 38.4 34.5 25.5

-9.6
-17.2 -19.5 -27.7 -46.5

Cont..

VO2max DECREASES by about 10%

per decade

with aging, starting in the mid-teens for women, and in the mid-20s for men.
This DECREASE is largely associated with a decrease

in CARDIO-RESPIRATORY functions.

B) Older athletes
VO2max declines with age and the rate of decline is

approximately 1% per year.

Factors that influences this rate of decline are:

General activity level

Volume of training Intensity of training

Increased body weight and body fat mass, and

decreased fat free mass

Graph : Changes in VO2max in trained and untrained men

Lactate Threshold

Lactate threshold, expressed as a % of

VO2max, unexpectedly INCREASES with aging.

The significance of this is not understood.

Physiological Adaptations
VO2max Improvements : (Males+Females)
Aged = Less Young = More But Absolute VO2 INCREASE of 5.5 - 6.0ml/kg/min similar for both (recent studies). Young ( 21 25 years) & Aged (60 71 years) = Shows SIMILAR improvements in VO2max with training. VO2max in aged males and females is also closely similar , after 9-12 months of aerobic training. [males= 21% ; females= 19%] What is the difference, then, in young and aged ? Young: Increase in VO2max is DUE TO increased Cardiac Output(CO). Aged : Increase in muscles oxidative enzyme activities. [So, peripheral factors play major role in older subjects than in younger subjects.]