Changes in aerobic power of women, ages 20-64 yr

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This study quantified and compared the cross-sectional and longitudinal influence of age, self-report physical activity (SR-PA), and body composition(%fat) on the decline of maximal aerobic power (˙VO2peak) of women. The cross-sectional sample consisted of 409 healthy women, ages 20-64 yr. The 43 women of the longitudinal sample were from the same population and examined twice, the mean time between tests was 3.7 (±2.2) yr. Peak oxygen uptake was determined by indirect calorimetry during a maximal treadmill test. The zero-order correlation of -0.742 between ˙VO2peak and%fat was significantly (P < 0.05) higher then the SR-PA (r = 0.626) and age correlations (r = -0.633). Linear regression defined the cross-sectional age-related decline in ˙VO2peak at 0.537 ml·kg-1·min-1·yr-1. Multiple regression analysis (R = 0.851) showed that adding%fat and SR-PA and their interaction to the regression model reduced the age regression weight of-0.537, to -0.265 ml·kg-1·min-1·yr-1. Statistically controlling for time differences between tests, general linear models analysis showed that longitudinal changes in aerobic power were due to independent changes in%fat and SR-PA, confirming the cross-sectional results. These findings are consistent with men's data from the same lab showing that about 50% of the cross-sectional age-related decline in ˙VO2peak was due to%fat and SR-PA.