A paper published recently in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that the muscles of older men and women who have exercised for decades are indistinguishable in many ways from those of healthy 25-year-olds.
Salient points
The researchers at Ball State University found people in their 70’s who had exercised for 50 years and compared them with people of similar age who did not exercise during adulthood, as well as healthy 25 year olds. These were not the people who were competitive masters athletes but ordinary people who exercised recreationally.
They compared the groups based on their cardiovascular system and muscles, because these decline with age. They were measured on their aerobic capacities, the number of capillaries and the levels of certain enzymes in the muscles.
The researchers found out that the 70 year old active group was much closer to the 25 year old healthy group and had 40% better capacities than their inactive 70 year old sedentary colleagues.
Using the aerobic capacities normal for various ages, the researchers concluded that the 70 year old active group had cardiovascular health like 40 year olds.
The above information in simple English: Regular exercise may keep your body 30 years ‘younger’.
In conclusion
Fifty years of recreational exercise helped the cardiovascular health of adults in their 70s to age by only about 20 years, instead of 50 years.
First published on: 28th November, 2018