Smaller age-associated reductions in leg venous compliance in endurance exercise-trained men

We determined the independent and interactive influences of aging and habit ual endurance exercise on calf venous compliance in humans. We tested the h ypotheses that calf venous compliance is 1) reduced with age in sedentary a nd endurance-trained men, and 2) elevated in young and older endurance-trai ned compared with age-matched sedentary men. We studied 8 young (28 +/- 1 y r) and 8 older (65 +/- 1) sedentary, and 8 young (28 +/- 1) and 8 older (63 +/- 2) endurance-trained men. Calf venous compliance was measured in supin e subjects by inflating a venous collecting cuff, placed above the knee, to 60 mmHg for 8 min and then decreasing cuff pressure at 1 mmHg/s to 0 mmHg. Calf venous compliance was determined using the first derivative of the pr essure-volume relation during cuff pressure reduction (compliance = beta (1 ) + 2 . beta (2). cuff pressure). Calf venous compliance was reduced with a ge in sedentary (similar to 40%) and endurance-trained men (similar to 20%) (both P < 0.01). Furthermore, calf venous compliance was <similar to>70-12 0% greater in endurance-trained compared with age-matched sedentary men and similar to 30% greater in older endurance-trained compared with young sede ntary men (both P < 0.01). These data indicate that calf venous compliance is reduced with age in sedentary and endurance-trained men, but compliance is better preserved in endurance-trained men.