COMPARISON OF ADAPTATIONS AND COMPLIANCE TO EXERCISE TRAINING BETWEENMIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER MEN

Objective: To compare the rate and magnitude of physiologic and psycho logic adaptations to aerobic training between middle-age and older men , to assess their interest in continued participation (>6 months) in a supervised high-intensity training program, and to evaluate the safet y of high-intensity training for older people. Design: Before-after in tervention trial. Setting: Medical center in a Midwestern metropolitan city. Participants: Thirteen middle-age (35-50 years) and 14 older (6 0-71 years) normal men. Intervention: Subjects trained on treadmills a nd leg cycle ergometers for 40 minutes 3 times per week. The intensity was increased to 85% of peak heart rate (HR) within the first 3 weeks of training. Measurement: Peak oxygen consumption, HR at submaximal w ork rates, three psychological tests, and election to continue in the supervised program, Results: At 6 months of training, peak oxygen cons umption had increased by 12% and 11% in the middle-aged and older grou ps, respectively, with 86% and 100% of this increase occurring within the first 3 months. Both groups showed comparable decreases in HR at s ubmaximal work rates after 3 months of training with no further signif icant change from 3 to 6 months. None of the psychologic parameters ev aluated changed significantly with 3 or 6 months of training in either group. More of the older (71%) than middle-aged (45%) men elected to continue in the supervised program after 6 months. Conclusions: The re sults of this study involving small groups of carefully screened middl e-aged and older men suggest that the time course and magnitude of phy siologic adaptations to aerobic training are similar between age group s when the training regimen is the same. Neither age group showed alte rations in psychologic parameters nor experienced orthopedic injuries with training. The older group showed greater interest in continued pa rticipation in a supervised exercise program.