Effects of endurance training on the cardiovascular system and water compartments in elderly subjects

and Jean Coudert. Effects of endurance training on the cardiovascular system and water compartments in elderly subjects. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(4): 1300–1306, 1997.—The effects of endurance training on the water compartments and the cardiovascular system were determined in 10 elderly subjects [age 62 6 2 yr, pretraining maximal oxygen consump-tion (V̇O2max)/kg 5 25 6 2 ml·min21 ·kg21 body wt]. They trained on a cycloergometer 3 times/wk for 16 wk (50–80% V̇O2max, then 80–85 % V̇O2max). They were checked at 8 wk, 16 wk, and 4 mo after detraining. Training improved V̇O2max (116%) and induced plasma volume expansion (111%). No change in total body water, extracellular fluid, interstitial and intracellular fluid volumes, fat-free mass, and body weight was detected in this small sample with training. Body fat mass decreased (22.1 6 2.2 kg). Echocardiography at res