Lifelong endurance vs. Healthy but untrained Octogenarians

[ColinJ]

It's interesting but not exactly rocket science ? Use it or lose it.

But can you use it to find it, or is it too late!

 

[Ajax Bay]

"In summary, the cardiovascular and skeletal muscle profile of the octogenarian athletes [lifelong Swedish skiers and masters competitors] was approximately double compared with the untrained octogenarians [non-exercising Americans]. This is characteristic of a highly trained endurance phenotype and is likely reflective of their lifelong endurance exercise habits, as well as their genetic traits.
"The current study supports the idea that a lifestyle incorporating lifelong endurance exercise helps maintain the plasticity of numerous physiological systems beyond 80 yr of age, which has direct benefits to overall health and reduces the risk of disability and mortality."
NSS

 

[CXRAndy]

Never too late, just the rewards maybe less.

Keeping fit till later will always be a bonus

 

[Peter Salt]

Really small sample size, isn't it? Also, would be interesting to see how the results would differ if the 'healthy & untrained' group had a BMI closer to the athletes. Overall, smells of confirmation bias (to me), but still an interesting read.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Really small sample size, isn't it? Also, would be interesting to see how the results would differ if the 'healthy & untrained' group had a BMI closer to the athletes. Overall, smells of confirmation bias (to me), but still an interesting read.

The BMI difference isn't much: 23 to 26. Note cholesterol actually higher in the long-term trained cohort.

 

[Sallar55]

It's interesting but not exactly rocket science ? Use it or lose it.

We keep fit by doing this, summer version of heavy winter bike for long steady runs. No need to go fast.

 

[numbnuts]

From last week not too bad for a 71 year old

 

[ColinJ]

From last week not too bad for a 71 year old
View attachment 699200

How was that calculated?

 

[numbnuts]

How was that calculated?

On my Garmin watch

 

[presta]

Which AF studies was I rubbishing? Can you provide links to the ones you claim I rubbished, together with links to the posts I rubbished them in?

You tell me:
"Many a paper has been shown to have selection bias, poor controls, or too small a sample size to be meaningful"

 

[Ajax Bay]

Ming
What device is recording your V02 max?

Ming's "VO2max" is not being recorded: it's being derived from an algorithm (assume from power and HR data).

Which AF studies was I rubbishing? Can you provide links to the ones you claim I rubbished, together with links to the posts I rubbished them in?

Have a read of @presta 's post here which was excellent: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/is-cycling-bad-for-the-heart.291068/page-11#post-6954458

You tell me:
"Many a paper has been shown to have selection bias, poor controls, or too small a sample size to be meaningful"

Ming has not been rubbishing anything on this thread. You may recall the 13 pages of 'is cycling bad for your heart' but they have consigned that to chat history (and the thread was locked because of the tit for chat, with an implicit intent to reopen once cleansed).

 

[presta]

Ming has not been rubbishing anything on this thread.

I haven't said that he has.

On the Is Cycling Bad for the Heart thread Ming was dismissive of the evidence on the grounds that the studies were all too small a sample size, a point which I answered fairly comprehensively on that thread. He then started this thread on the related subject that exercise is good for your health (a point which I haven't disputed), and cited Trappe et al, which also has a small sample size, just like those he was previously dismissive of.

Apart from Garcia that I referenced on the other thread, another comprehensive review of the benefits of exercise is Warburton, with over 150 references. The takeaway remark I recall from it is:

"risks [of getting no exercise] are similar to those for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and obesity, and they approach those associated with moderate cigarette smoking",

but this is also interesting:

"Physical fitness appears to be similar to physical activity in its relation to morbidity and mortality but is more strongly predictive of health outcomes than physical activity".