The symptomatology of upper respiratory tract infections and exercise in elderly people

Purpose: To analyze, both by a retrospective and prospective study design, the relationship of maximal oxygen consumption ((V) over dot O-2max) and ph ysical activity (PA) to upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) sympromat ology in elderly subjects. Methods: 61 (33 men and 28 women) healthy and we ight-stable active elderly volunteers aged 66-84 yr participated in the stu dy. PA was evaluated by a questionnaire QAPSE (Questionnaire d'Activite Phy sique Saint-Etienne) and expressed by two QAPSE activity indices: MHDEE (me an habitual daily energy expenditure) and sports activity (daily energy exp enditure corresponding to leisure time sports activities). Log books for da ily recording of URTI symptomatology were used in prospective design. Resul ts: In a l-yr retrospective study a significant correlation was found betwe en number of weeks with URTI per year and Sports activity index (r = -0.17, P = 0.037). In a prospective 12-month follow-up, the number of episodes pe r year and number of days with URTI per year were significantly negatively associated with sports activity index (r = -0.29. P = 0.022 and r = -0.26, P = 0.041, respectively). Conclusions: In healthy active elderly subjects t he symptomatology of URTI over long periods of rime is inversly related to energy expenditure utilized during moderately intensive physical exercise.