Association of age and physical exercise with bodyweight and body composition in Asian Chinese men

Abstract

Background. The present study sought to examine the association between physical exercise as a lifestyle habit with anthropometric parameters and body composition and aging in men.

Methods. Intensity of exercise was scored as metabolic equivalent-min/week (MET-min/week) from data of the questionnaire, while anthropometric parameters and body composition were carried out by standard measuring instruments and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner, respectively.

Results. Age was associated with decreases in bodyweight, height, total lean mass and bone mass, but an increase in fat mass. The negative association of lean mass with age was predominantly due to the negative association of lean masses in the legs and arm, while the positive association of fat mass with age was primarily due to the positive association of fat masses in the trunk and abdomen. Exercise of intensity greater than 1000 MET-min/week was significantly associated with higher lean and bone masses and lower fat mass. The increase in lean mass was predominantly in the legs, while the decreases in fat mass were in the trunk and abdomen.

Conclusion. The study showed that the high intensity of physical exercise, equivalent to greater than 1000 MET-min/week, is required to effect beneficial changes in the body composition. Hence, results from the study support the importance of promoting a lifestyle habit of exercise of sufficient intensity in order to mitigate the increase risks of sarcopenia and obesity and their attendant ill effects on health in men as they age.

Keywords:

• Physical exercise
• age
• lean mass
• bone mass
• fat mass
• Asian men

Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere thanks to Ms. Helen Mok, Mrs. Baharudin Said, Ms. Eng Sok Kheng and Ms. Poon Peng Cheng for their expert technical input into this study. This study was supported, in part, by fund from the Academic Research Fund of the National University of Singapore. Dr. Victor Goh position in the General Clinical Research Centre at Harbor UCLA Medical Center was supported by the NIH grant (M01-RR0425).