Ageing, muscle properties and maximal O2 uptake rate in humans
KE Conley, PC Esselman, SA Jubrias… - The Journal of …, 2000 - Wiley Online Library
KE Conley, PC Esselman, SA Jubrias, ME Cress, B Inglin, C Mogadam, RB Schoene
The Journal of physiology, 2000•Wiley Online Library1 This paper asks how the decline in maximal O2 uptake rate (VO2, max) with age is related
to the properties of a key muscle group involved in physical activity–the quadriceps muscles.
Maximal oxygen consumption on a cycle ergometer was examined in nine adult (mean age
38.8 years) and 39 elderly subjects (mean age 68.8 years) and compared with the oxidative
capacity and volume of the quadriceps. 2 VO2, max declined with age between 25 and 80
years and the increment in oxygen consumption from unloaded cycling to VO2, max (ΔVO2) …
to the properties of a key muscle group involved in physical activity–the quadriceps muscles.
Maximal oxygen consumption on a cycle ergometer was examined in nine adult (mean age
38.8 years) and 39 elderly subjects (mean age 68.8 years) and compared with the oxidative
capacity and volume of the quadriceps. 2 VO2, max declined with age between 25 and 80
years and the increment in oxygen consumption from unloaded cycling to VO2, max (ΔVO2) …
- 1This paper asks how the decline in maximal O2 uptake rate (VO2,max) with age is related to the properties of a key muscle group involved in physical activity – the quadriceps muscles. Maximal oxygen consumption on a cycle ergometer was examined in nine adult (mean age 38.8 years) and 39 elderly subjects (mean age 68.8 years) and compared with the oxidative capacity and volume of the quadriceps.
- 2VO2,max declined with age between 25 and 80 years and the increment in oxygen consumption from unloaded cycling to VO2,max (ΔVO2) in the elderly was 45 % of the adult value.
- 3The cross‐sectional areas of the primary muscles involved in cycling – the hamstrings, gluteus maximus and quadriceps – were all lower in the elderly group. The quadriceps volume was reduced in the elderly to 67 % of the adult value. Oxidative capacity per quadriceps volume was reduced to 53 % of the adult value. The product of oxidative capacity and muscle volume – the quadriceps oxidative capacity – was 36 % of the adult value in the elderly.
- 4Quadriceps oxidative capacity was linearly correlated with ΔVO2 among the subjects with the slope indicating that the quadriceps represented 36 % of the VO2 increase during cycling.
- 5The decline in quadriceps oxidative capacity with age resulted from reductions in both muscle volume and oxidative capacity per volume in the elderly and appears to be an important determinant of the age‐related reduction in ΔVO2 and VO2,max found in this study.
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