Abstract
The purpose of this study was to obtain information regarding the influence of aging and exercise training on maximal oxygen uptake(V^^・O_<2max>)for older female adults. V^^・O_<2max>was measured during an incremental cycle ergometer test in 49 healthy older females(73.8±7.3 years)and 20 older female patients with ischemic heart disease. Of the 20 patients, 17 patients(60.6±4.7 years)have continuously participated in our supervised aerobic and strength training program, and were re-evaluated after a follow-up period of 1 to 9 years. Analyses of the data indicated that V^^・O_<2max> of the patients(24.2±3.6 ml/kg/min)showed significant improvement compared with the pre-exercise value(18.3±3.8 ml/kg/min). Furthermore, post-exercise V^^・O_<2max> of the patients was significantly higher than V^^・O_<2max>(20.4±4.7 ml/kg/min)of the non-exercising healthy older females(P<0.05). These results suggest that the rate of decline in V^^・O_<2max> that typically occurs as an individual ages may be reduced by exercise training for older adults.
