Influence of physical exercise and aging on predictors of aerobic fitness and physical health in apparently healthy men

Abstract

The practice of regular physical exercise favors beneficial changes in several organ systems, reducing the deleterious effects of aging. The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) makes it possible to evaluate the responses resulting from the integration of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems, allowing the extraction of predictive variables of health and physical conditioning such as circulatory (CP) and ventilatory (VP) power, cardiorespiratory optimal point (COP), time to reach 50% of the peak oxygen uptake after exercise (T1/2VO2), and oxygen consumption efficiency plateau (OUEP). Such variables studied together are important indicators of the integrity and health of these systems and may provide important and complementary outcomes considering the influence of physical exercise and aging on the body. Objective: To investigate the influence of regular aerobic exercise and age on the set of variables obtained in the CPET, emphasizing the variables PC, PV, POC, T1/2VO2, and OUEP, comparing sedentary and active, young and aged groups. Methods: Thirty-six apparently healthy men will be divided into four groups (active young, sedentary young, active aged, and sedentary aged). All will undergo CPET to obtain cardiorespiratory and metabolic variables. For the comparison between groups, two-way ANOVA (or a corresponding non-parametric test, based on normality and homogeneity of data) and principal components analysis will be performed, with p<0.05. Expected results: It is expected that the results of this study will bring additional information about the benefits of physical activity and its importance in the context of aging.(AU)