Role of Lifestyle and Aging on the Longitudinal Change in Cardiorespiratory Fitness

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Abstract
The US population is aging1 and is becoming more obese2 and sedentary.3 It is well documented that the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of men and women declines with age and that body composition and habitual physical activity are related to CRF. Using men and women from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, Fleg et al4 reported that the age-related, longitudinal decline in CRF was not linear. They observed a decline in peak oxygen consumption per unit of time (V˙O2) of 3% to 6% per decade for the third and fourth decades of life, but after 70 years of age, the rate accelerated to more than 20% per decade. Furthermore, they reported that the accelerated rate of decline in CRF with aging was not affected by variation in habitual physical activity, but that at all ages the more active individuals were more fit.