Submitted By:

Safa Riaz
Submitted To:
Mam Faiza and Mam Esha
Sap Id:
70095869
Semester:
5TH C
Topic:
Why age-related differences are taken into
consideration when developing aerobic exercise
conditioning programs?
Aerobic Exercises:
Aerobic exercise takes place in the presence of oxygen and involves aerobic
metabolism of glucose. The exercise is low in intensity and sustained for a
longer period than strength training. A decline in maximal aerobic capacity
occurs across the adult age-span, accelerating later years.

Aerobic Exercise for All-Around Health

For overall health benefits, and reduction of numerous health risks, some form
of aerobic activity is recommended. The use of the large muscles in the body in
activities such as walking, swimming, aqua exercise and cycling are examples
of the many to choose from. Swimming and aqua exercise are excellent
modalities due to the lessened stress on the joints. Similarly, stationary cycling
(recommended due to thoroughfare hazards and risk of falling in road cycling)
places less stress on the joints, while recumbent cycling puts less stress on the
back. Walking, at a higher pace than normal walking, is one of the most viable
options for ambulatory elders. It can be done easily in most environments and
requires no additional equipment.
Age-related differences are taken into consideration when developing
aerobic exercise conditioning programs due to many physiological
changed that occur with aging..
Researchers measured the decline in maximum exercise capacity as measured by
VO2 max, which measures the amount of oxygen the body consumes during peak
exercise performance. While age per se results in a decrease in maximum exercise
capacity, age-related decreases in the amount of muscle and vigorous physical
activity also contribute to this decline.
As maximum exercise capacity declines, physical activity and fitness levels
generally decline as it takes more effort to exercise or walk up a flight of stairs, and
a person becomes more easily exhausted.
Skeletal muscles perform several functions essential for locomotion and
posture, and the loss of adequate mobility that occurs with aging causes the
muscle to decrease its oxidative capacity and function. Gait speed represents an
important integrative measure of muscle function and efficiency in the
elderly and its decline can be considered the best predictor of survival and
health outcomes in humans
The age-associated decline in energy supply caused by mitochondrial
dysfunction and/or reduction in the numbers of mitochondria adversely affects
skeletal muscle function and homeostasis.

One significant way to increase or preserve skeletal muscle quality and strength
needed for healthy aging is through regular physical activity
A Brief Review
Many of the physiological changes with ages may more appropriately be
associated with sedentary lifestyles. With the cardiovascular system there is a
20 to 30% decrease in cardiac output by the age 65. Maximal oxygen uptake
decreases approximately 9% and 5% per decade, for sedentary men and women,
respectively (Elia, 1991) . There is a loss in elasticity of the major blood vessels
which contributes to a 10 to 40 mm Hg elevation in systolic and diastolic blood
pressure. Maximum heart rate decreases approximately 10 beats per minute per
decade, although resting heart rate shows little alteration with age. The
respiratory system undergoes a 40 to 50% loss in forced vital lung capacity
(total volume of air that can be voluntarily moved in one breath, from full
inspiration to maximum expiration) by the age 70. There is also a decrease in
chest wall compliance, maximum ventilation and alveolar size. The muscular
system undergoes a 40% loss of muscle mass and 30% decrease in strength by
age 70 (Rogers & Evans, 1993) . It is interesting to note that the lower body is
more affected than the upper body with this age-related muscle mass loss
(Bemben, Massey, Bemben, Misner, & Boileau, 1991) . As far as muscular
fitness is concerned, it appears that strength increases into the third decade of
life, then plateaus through the fifth and/or sixth decade, and then declines
rapidly thereafter (Bemben et al., 1991) . The big question facing researchers is
to what degree strength loss is a function of disuse versus aging. There is a 1%
loss of bone mass per year after age 35, with up to a 2 to 3% loss after
menopause for women. Degeneration of the joints, specifically the spine is
common. Connective tissues gradually lose their elasticity, muscle fibers
shorten, and joints show decreases in the production of joint lubricating
synovial fluid. By age 60, there is up to a 15% reduction in nerve conduction
concomitantly with a reduction in neurons and brain mass. The blood undergoes
a loss of hemoglobin (oxygen carrying protein), hematocrit (proportion of red
blood cells to plasma), as well as red cell mass. There is an increase in the total
cholesterol with a decrease in HDL (the good type) cholesterol. Finally, there is
a loss of certain sensory sensations, such as thirst, eyesight, taste, balance, and
hearing that occur gradually with aging.
Functional Variables with Age:

Age Differences:
Differences in endurance and physical work capacity among children, young
adults, and middle-aged or elderly individuals are evident. Some comparisons
are made between maximum oxygen uptake and the factors influencing it and
among blood pressure, respiratory rate, vital capacity, and maximum voluntary
ventilation in the differ- ent age categories. It is important when developing
aerobic conditioning programs that these age-related differences are taken into
consideration.
Children
• Between the ages of 5 and 15 there is a threefold increase in body weight,
lung volume, heart volume, and maximum oxygen uptake.
Heart Rate
• Resting heart rate is on the average above 125 (126 in girls, 135 in boys)
at infancy.
• Resting heart rate drops to adult levels at puberty.
• Maximum heart rate is age-related (220 minus age).
Stroke Volume
• Stroke volume is closely related to size.
• Children 5 to 16 years of age have a stroke volume of 30 to 40 mL.
Cardiac Output
• Cardiac output is related to size.
• Cardiac output increases with increasing stroke volume.
• The increase in cardiac output for a given increase in oxygen
consumption is a constant throughout life: It is the same in the child as in
the adult.
Arteriovenous Oxygen Difference
• Children tolerate a larger a V3O2 difference than adults.
• The larger a V3O2 difference makes up for the smaller stroke volume.
Maximum Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max)
• The VO2 max increases with age up to 20 years (expressed as litres per
minute).
• Before puberty, girls and boys show no significant difference in
maximum aerobic capacity.
 • Cardiac output in children is the same as in the adult for any given
oxygen consumption.
• Endurance times increase with age until 17 to 18 years.
Blood Pressure
• Systolic blood pressure increases from 40 mm Hg at birth to 80 mm Hg at
age 1 month to 100 mm Hg several years before puberty. Adult levels are
observed at puberty.
• Diastolic blood pressure increases from 55 to 70 mm Hg from 4 to 14
years of age, with little change during adolescence.
Respiration
• Respiratory rate decreases from 30 breaths per minute at infancy to 16
breaths per minute at 17 to 18 years of age.
• Vital capacity and maximum voluntary ventilation are correlated with
height, although the greater increase in boys than girls at puberty may be
due to an increase in lung tissue.
Muscle Mass and Strength
• Muscle mass increases through adolescence, primarily owing to muscle
fibre hypertrophy and the development of sarcomeres.
• Sarcomeres are added at the musculotendinous junction to compensate
for the required increase in length.
• Girls develop peak muscle mass between 16 and 20 years, whereas boys
develop peak muscle mass between 18 and 25 years.
• Strength gains are associated with increased muscle mass in conjunction
with neural maturation.
Anaerobic Ability
• Children generally demonstrate a limited anaerobic capacity. This may be
due to a limited amount of phosphofructokinase, a controlling enzyme in
the glycolytic pathway.
• Children produce less lactic acid when performing anaerobically. This
may be due to a limited glycolytic capacity.
Young Adults
• There are more data on the physiological parameters of fit- ness for the
young and middle-aged adult than for children or the elderly.
Heart Rate
• Resting heart rate reaches 60 to 65 beats per minute at 17 to 18 years of
age (75 beats per minute in a sitting, sedentary young man).
• Maximum heart rate is age-related (190 beats per minute in the same
sedentary young man).
Stroke Volume
• The adult values for stroke volume are 60 to 80 mL (75 mL in a sitting,
sedentary young man).
 • With maximum exercise, stroke volume is 100 mL in that same sedentary
young man.
Cardiac Output for the Sedentary Young Man at Rest
• Cardiac output at rest is 75 beats per minute 75 mL, or 5.6 litres per
minute.
• With maximum exercise, cardiac output is 190 beats per minute 100 mL,
or 19 litres per minute.
Arteriovenous Oxygen Difference (a vO2 Difference)
• Approximately 25% to 30% of the oxygen is extracted from blood as it
runs through the muscles or other tis- sues at rest.
• In a normal, sedentary young man, it increases threefold (5.2 to 15.8
mL/dL blood) with exercise.
Maximum Oxygen Uptake
• The difference in VO2 max between males and females is
greatest in the adult. .
• In the sedentary young man, maximum oxygen uptake equals 3000
mL/min (oxygen uptake at rest equals 300 mL/min).
Blood Pressure
• Systolic blood pressure is 120 mm Hg (average). At peak effort during
exercise, values may range from as low as 190 mm Hg to as high as 240
mm Hg.
• Diastolic blood pressure is 80 mm Hg (average). Diastolic pressure does
not change markedly with exercise.
Respiration
• Respiratory rate is 12 to 15 breaths per minute.
• Vital capacity is 4800 mL in a man 20 to 30 years of age.
• Maximum voluntary ventilation varies considerably from laboratory to
laboratory and is dependent on age and the surface area of the body.
Muscle Mass and Strength
• Muscle mass increases with training as a result of hyper- trophy.
• This hypertrophy can be the result of an increased number of myofibrils,
increased actin and myosin, sarcoplasm, and/or connective tissue.
• Limited evidence suggests that the number of muscle fibres may increase,
referred to as hyperplasia.
• As the nervous system matures, increased recruitment of motor units or
decreased autogenic inhibition by Golgi tendon organs appears also to
dictate strength gains.
Anaerobic Ability
• Anaerobic training increases the activity of several con- trolling enzymes
in the glycolytic pathway and enhances stored quantities of ATP and
phosphocreatine.
 • Anaerobic training increases the muscle’s ability to buffer the hydrogen
ions released when lactic acid is produced.
• Increased buffering allows the muscle to work anaerobically for longer
periods of time.
Older Adults
• With increasing interest in the aged, data are appearing
in the literature about this age group and their response to exercise.
Heart Rate
• Resting heart rate is not influenced by age.
• Maximum heart rate is age-related and decreases with age (in very
general terms, 220 minus age).
• The average maximum heart rate for men 20 to 29 years of age is 190
beats/min. For men 60 to 69 years of age, it is 164 beats/min.
• The amount that the heart rate increases in response to static and
maximum dynamic exercise (hand grip) decreases in the elderly.
Stroke Volume
• Stroke volume decreases in the aged and results in decreased cardiac
output.
Cardiac Output
• Cardiac output decreases on an average of 7.0 to 3.4 litres per minute
from age 19 to 86 years.
Arteriovenous Difference
• Arteriovenous oxygen difference decreases as a result of decreased lean
body mass and low oxygen-carrying capacity.
Maximum Oxygen Uptake
• According to cardiorespiratory fitness classification, if men 60 to 69
years of age of average fitness level are compared with men 20 to 29
years of age of the same fitness level, the maximum oxygen uptake for
the older man is lower.
• 20 to 29 years: 31 to 37 mL/kg per minute
• 60 to 69 years: 18 to 23 mL/kg per minute
• Aerobic capacity decreases about 10% per decade when evaluating
sedentary men.
• Maximum oxygen consumption decreases on an average from 47.7
mL/kg per minute at age 25 years to 25.5 mL/kg per minute at
• age 75 years. This decrease is not directly the result of age; athletes who
continue exercising have significantly less decrease in V. O2 max when
evaluated over a 10-year period.
Blood Pressure
• Blood pressure increases because of increased peripheral vascular
resistance.
 • Systolic blood pressure of the aged is 150 mm Hg (average).
• Diastolic blood pressure is 90 mm Hg (average).
• If the definition of high blood pressure (stage II hyper- tension) is ≥
160/100, then 22% of men and 34% of women 65 to 74 years of age are
hypertensive
• Using 150/95 mm Hg as a cutoff, 25% of individuals are hypertensive at
age 50 years and 70% between the ages of 85 and 95 years.
Respiration
• Respiratory rate increases with age.
• Vital capacity decreases with age. There is a 25% decrease in the vital
capacity of the 50- to 60-year-old man compared with the 20- to 30-year-
old man with the same surface area.
• Maximum voluntary ventilation decreases with age.
Muscle Mass and Strength
• Generally, the strength decline with age is associated with a decrease in
muscle mass and physical activity.
• The decrease in muscle mass is primarily due to a decrease in protein
synthesis, in concert with a decline in the number of fast-twitch muscle
fibres.
• Aging may also affect strength by slowing the nervous system’s response
time. This may alter the ability to recruit motor units effectively.
• Continued training as one ages appears to reduce the effects of aging on
the muscular system.

"This study does not mean that older people can't improve their fitness,"