Physical Fitness, Functional Aerobic Capacity, Aging, and Responses to Physical Training or Bypass Surgery in Coronary Patients

Regular exercise is an attractive strategy to enhance active life expectancy and is associated with reduced all-cause mortality. Functional aerobic capacity is improved by aerobic conditioning and can be correlated with functional aerobic age based on the observed duration of multi-staged treadmill exercise testing and a nomogram presented herein. Aging is associated with a decline in functional aerobic capacity. Regular exercise probably forestalls or attenuates the rate of decline. The relative aerobic cost of physical activity increases with age. Thus, brisk walking results in conditioning effects for many older individuals. Regular activity leading to conditioning will also lower relative aerobic costs of everyday activities. Examples are provided to show that physical training can lower functional aerobic age in men with coronary heart disease as can successful coronary artery revascularization. Several approaches are available to minimize functional deterioration associated with chronic coronary artery disease superimposed on age-related decline.