Endurance exercise training in the elderly: effects on cardiovascular function.

Among many arguments for encouraging the maintenance of an active lifestyle into old age is that those who exercise regularly may anticipate a reduced risk of chronic disease. In earlier studies, because of insufficient training stimuli, no improvement in maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2)max) was observed in individuals over 60 years of age. However, in more recent studies, after sufficient training, the VO2max response of the older individual was the same as that in younger persons. It is well documented that maximal cardiac output is the main component of the age-related decline in VO(2)max. The underlying mechanisms of the impairment of maximal cardiac function and the beneficial effect of regular endurance exercise training are discussed in the present review.