M. Bonnefoy et al., Physical activity and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, insulin-like growthfactor I and testosterone in healthy active elderly people, AGE AGEING, 27(6), 1998, pp. 745-751
Objective: to examine the association of physical activity and cardio-respi
ratory fitness with. dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), insulin-like
growth factor I (IGF-I) and testosterone in healthy elderly people.
Design: cross-sectional study.
Setting: university research department and department of geriatric medicin
e.
Participants: 60 independent, community-dwelling elderly subjects (26 men a
nd 34 women) aged 66-84 who volunteered to participate.
Measurements: physical activity was evaluated by the Questionnaire d'Activi
te Physique Saint-Etienne and expressed by three indices: mean habitual dai
ly energy expenditure (MHDEE), daily energy expenditure (DEE) [comprising a
ctivities with intensities corresponding to at least three metabolic equiva
lents (MET; 3.5 ml.kg(1).min(1) of oxygen consumption)] and sport activity
Cardio-respiratory fitness was expressed by maximal oxygen consumption (VO2
max).
Results: in women, DHEAS correlated with VO2max (partial correlation: r=0.3
3; P=0.05), MHDEE (r=0.50; P = 0.002), DEE > 3 METs (r = 0.49; P = 0.003) a
nd sport activity (r = 0.35; P = 0.04) whereas IGF-I correlated with MHDEE
(r = 0.48; P = 0.004). DHEAS was correlated with IGF-I (r = 0.43; P < 0.02)
and with testosterone (r = 0.41; P < 0.02). No such correlation was found
in men.
Conclusion: lower habitual physical activity is related to lower levels of
circulating DHEAS and IGF-I independently of age and anthropometric measure
s. Lower maximal aerobic capacity is associated with lower DHEAS concentrat
ions, in healthy elderly women.