Aerobic capacity reference data in 3816 healthy men and women 20-90 years

Purpose: To provide a large reference material on aerobic fitness and exercise physiology data in a healthy population of Norwegian men and women aged 20–90 years. Methods: Maximal and sub maximal levels of VO2, heart rate, oxygen pulse, and rating of perceived exertion (Borg scale: 6– 20) were measured in 1929 men and 1881 women during treadmill running. Results: The highest VO2max and maximal heart rate among men and women were observed in the youngest age group (20–29 years) and was 54.468.4 mL?kg21?min21 and 43.067.7 mL?kg21?min21 (sex differences, p,0.001) and 196610 beats?min21 and 19469 beats?min21 (sex differences, p,0.05), respectively, with a subsequent reduction of approximately 3.5 mL?kg21?min21 and 6 beats?min21 per decade. The highest oxygen pulses were observed in the 3 youngest age groups (20–29 years, 30–39 years, 40–49 years) among men and women; 22.3 mL?beat2163.6 and 14.7 mL?beat2162.7 (sex differences, p,0.001), respectively, with no significant difference between these age groups. After the age of 50 we observed an 8 % reduction per decade among both sexes. Borg scores appear to give a good estimate of the relative exercise intensity, although observing a slightly different relationship than reported in previous reference material from small populations. Conclusion: This is the largest European reference material of objectively measured parameters of aerobic fitness and exercise-physiology in healthy men and women aged 20–90 years, forming the basis for an easily accessible, valid and understandable tool for improved training prescription in healthy men and women