EFFECTS OF CHANGE IN DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING AN EXERCISE INTERVENTION ON VITAL AGE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS AGE / 体力科学

<b>Purpose</b>：The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of change in daily physical activity during an exercise intervention on health status and physical fitness.<b>Methods</b>：Participants were 22 obese middle-aged men (BMI : 29.1±2.8 kg/m², 54.1±11.4 yr). They performed 90-min exercise sessions on a regular basis 3 days per week for 3 months. Physical activity (total energy expenditure, TEE ; activity energy expenditure, AEE ; and step counts) was measured using an accelerometer. Daily physical activity was defined as that which was performed outside of the exercise class. A 3-day food record was used to estimate energy intake. <b>Results</b>：Body weight decreased (-3.0±2.5 kg, <i>P</i>＜0.05). Vital age (VA), an index of comprehensive health status, and physical fitness age (PFA), an index of comprehensive physical fitness, significantly improved (VA : -8.7±5.5 yr, PFA : -8.5±5.1 yr, <i>P</i>＜0.05). Energy intake remained unchanged during the intervention (＋63.7±546.1 kcal/d). Daily physical activity increased (TEE : ＋83.0±130.1 kcal/d, AEE : ＋76.9±103.3 kcal/d, step counts : ＋1789±2819 steps/d, <i>P</i>＜0.05). Change in daily physical activity was correlated with change in VA (AEE : r＝-0.52, step counts : r＝-0.46, <i>P</i>＜0.05), while change in daily physical activity did not correlate with change in PFA. <b>Conclusion</b>：These results suggest that changes in daily physical activity during an exercise intervention are associated with improved health status.

Effects of walking habit on aerobic work capacity and vital age in middle-aged and elderly walkers / 体力科学

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of daily walking on aerobic work capacity, vital age and other fitness components in middle-aged and elderly walkers. The subjects were thirty-six walkers (average 65.0±8.0 yr, 51-80 yr), whose training period averaged 13.5±9.0 yr. The walkers were significantly greater in maximal oxygen uptake (VO<SUB>2</SUB>max), and oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold (VO<SUB>2</SUB>LT), and were 6.5 yr younger in vital age (VA) than sedentary middle-aged and elderly. These findings suggest that middle-aged and elderly walkers have more favorable profile of aerobic work capacity and of health status when compared to sedentary persons.