Effect of Physical Activity on Age-Related Changes in Cardiac Function and Performance in Women

Abstract

Background— Higher levels of physical activity are associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality but its effect on age-related changes in cardiac structure and function is unknown. The present study defines the effect of daily physical activity on age-related changes in cardiac structure, function, metabolism, and performance in healthy women. Methods and Results— Sixty-three healthy women were grouped according to age (young, 20–30 years, n=21; middle, 40–50 years, n=22; and older, 65–81 years, n=20) and daily physical activity level (low active <7500 and high active >12 500 steps/d). Participants underwent cardiac MRI including tissue tagging and 31 P spectroscopy and exercise testing with noninvasive central hemodynamic measurements. Aging was associated with increased concentric remodeling ( P <0.01) and left ventricular torsion ( P <0.01), and a decline in diastolic function ( P <0.01), cardiac phosphocreatine:ATP ratio ( P <0.01), peak exercise cardiac power output ( P <0.01), and O 2 consumption ( P <0.01). Older high-active women demonstrated a phosphocreatine:ATP ratio and relative peak O 2 consumption similar to young low-active women, and 23% and 26% higher than older low-active women (phosphocreatine:ATP ratio, 1.9±0.2 versus 1.4±0.1; P <0.05 and O 2 consumption, 24.1±3.8 versus 17.8±2.0 mL/[kg·min]; P <0.01). In older women, physical activity had no effect on eccentricity ratio (0.9±0.2 versus 0.8±0.1 g/mL; P =0.19), E/A ratio (1.3±0.5 versus 1.4±0.5; P =0.66), torsion (7.6±1.7 versus 8.0°±2.1°; P =0.20), and peak cardiac power output (3.4±0.7 versus 3.4±0.8 W; P =0.91). Conclusions— A higher level of daily physical activity preserves cardiac metabolism and exercise capacity with aging but has limited effect on age-related changes in concentric remodeling, diastolic function, and cardiac performance.

The Effect of Short and Long Term Endurance Training on Systemic, and Muscle and Prefrontal Cortex Tissue Oxygen Utilisation in 40 – 60 Year Old Women

“…This supports other research that indicates that peak HR is a function of age, not training [30, 57]. A difference in the response of HR following transitions from light to moderate intensity steady state cycling could have implications for O 2 delivery during SWCL exercise.…”

“…These findings are in contrast to the response in typically healthy adults performing strenuous exercise, where V T plateaus once it reaches ~ 50–60% of vital capacity and further increases in V E result exclusively form increases in BF [14]. While increases in V Emax following ET have been reported in older women [53, 55–57], this current study is unique in reporting the effect of short and long term ET on BF, V E and V T at peak and sub—VTP intensities. These results indicate that the higher V E of the LTT was produced from breathing larger volumes of air (V T ) rather than increases in BF.…”

Age-related decline in cardiac autonomic function is not attenuated with increased physical activity

“…Aging is also associated with an increased incidence and prevalence of hypertension, coronary artery disease and heart failure [2]. Chronological age, in the absence of apparent cardiac disease, leads to concentric cardiac remodelling and a decline in diastolic function, cardiac metabolism, and maximal performance [3]. These subclinical changes may lead to cardiac pathology and increased incidence of heart failure in older age [2].…”

“…The most recent data from the Women's Health Initiative study suggest that low active and sedentary women had 63% greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than high active women [15]. A recent study in women also suggests that higher levels of habitual physical activity preserve cardiac metabolism and exercise capacity with ageing [3]. Exercise training improves cardiac autonomic regulation of the heart in both healthy people and those with cardiac disorders [16-19].…”

Age-related reduction of myocardial metabolic efficiency: Is it time to routinely measure myocardial metabolism to monitor cardiac health?

“…However, in older women, physical activity had no effect on eccentricity ratio E/A ratio, torsion and peak cardiac power output. These findings suggest that high-level physical activity preserves cardiac metabolism and exercise capacity with ageing but has limited effect on age-related changes in concentric remodelling, diastolic function and cardiac performance 7. Another study has shown that trained middle-aged subjects exhibit a better pattern of left ventricular energy metabolism and of diastolic function than their sedentary counterparts.…”