Effect of Exercise on Older Adults

Muhammad irfan sattar

Effect of aging on VO2 max

The number of older individuals (over age sixty-five)in the United States will double between 2000 and 2030. Participation in physical activity and exercise will go a longway in preventing the progress of diseases and in extending the years of independent living. Maximal aerobic power decreases in the average population after the age of twenty at the rate of about I % per year.

 The vast majority of people experience a steady decline in V02 max so that by sixty years of age, their ability to engage comfortably in normal activities is reduced. This initiates a vicious cycle that leads to lower and lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, which may not allow them to perform daily tasks. In turn, this affects elderly people's quality of life and independence, which may necessitate reliance on others.

Exercise and Older Individuals

Cross-sectional studies have shown that, in contrast to older sedentary individuals, endurance-trained older athletes have Higher V02 max values, Higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol.

 Enhanced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and greater strength, quicker reaction time, and a lower risk of falling. Endurance training: Increases V02 max and the kinetics of oxygen uptake in a manner similar to younger individuals, but more time may be required for the training effect.

 Increase in V02 max is due to both peripheral (skeletal muscle) and central (cardiovascular) adaptations . improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. increases or maintains muscular strength and bone density.

Effect of exercise on muscle strength

Strength declines only about 10% between 20 and 50 years of age, but decreases at a much faster rate after that. The loss of strength is due to the lower level of physical activity in older individuals. The large decrease in strength between 60 and 80 years of age is due to the actual loss of muscle mass, a condition known as sarcopenia.

 The good news is that strength training can increase strength in older individuals, much like that seen in younger individuals. The exercise program should provide endurance, flexibility, and strength activities within the capacity of the population being served in order to make improvements in these fitness components.

 A combination of strength training and balance training has been shown to reduce the risk of falls. The use of exercise programs for older adults improves cardiorespiratory fitness strength, and helps to maintain the integrity of bone.

Effect of exercise on bones

Osteoporosis is a loss of bone mass that primarily affects women over fifty years of age and is responsible for 1.5 million fractures annually. Type I osteoporosis is related to vertebral and distal radius fractures.more common in women than men. Type II osteoporosis, found in those aged seventy and above, results in hip, pelvic, and distal humerus fractures.

 The problem is more common in women over age fifty due to menopause and the lack of estrogen. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) initiated early in menopause prevents bone loss and can increase bone mineral density and reduce fracture risk.

 Attention is focused on adequate dietary calcium and exercise throughout life. Endurance activities (stair climbing, jogging activities that ,involve jumping (volleyball, basketball), and resistance exercise. Intensity moderate to high, in terms of bone loading. Frequency weight-bearing activities 3-5 times/week; resistance exercise 2-3 times/week.

 Duration 30-60 min/day OF a combination of weight-bearing endurance activities, activities that involve jumping, and resistance exercise that targets all the muscle groups As age increases, one would have to use additional care to ensure that exercises can be done safely. It must be added that resistance training results in large increases in strength, which may play an important role in reducing the risk of falls.

 Current physical activity recormmendations for the older adult from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association include: 1. Perform moderate-intensity aerobic (endurance) physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days per week or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days per week, or use a combination of both.

2. Perfom 8-10 muscle strengthening exercise on at least two days per week using the major muscle groups. A resistance should be used that allows 10-15 repetitions for each exercise. 3. There is evidence in older adults (> 65 years) that one day per week of resistance training may be as good as two days per week in terms of strength gains.

4.Perform flexibility exercises for at least 10 minutes on at least two days per week.
5. Older adults with substantial risk of falls should perform exercise that maintains or improves balance. The "normal" deterioration of physiological function with age can be attenuated or reversed with regullar endurance and strength training.

 The benefits of participation in a regular exercise program include an improved risk factor profile lower cholesterol, improved insulin sensitivity, higher V02 max, and lower blood pressure" The guidelines for exercise training programs For older adults are similar to those for younger people.