Aerobic interval training compensates age related decline in cardiac function

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flow chart of the study.

Table II Effect of intervention, both genders.

	Seniors, N =16 (6 women)
	Pre	Post	p value within group
VO2max, ml/min/kg	32.5±5.5	37.0±6.1	<0.01
Weight, kg	72.7±9.9	71.5±9.7*	0.02
BMI, kg/m^2	24.6±0.63	24.2±0.60	0.03
Performance on bike, watt	100±30	120±23	<0.01
SBP, mmHg	143.0±15.5	126.5±8.5*	<0.01
DBP, mmHg	80.0±8.7	73.0±5.0*	<0.01
HR, beats/minute	69±8	59±7*	<0.01
HRmax, beats/minute	173±7	168±12	0.08

VO_2max = maximal oxygen uptake, BMI = body mass index, SBP = systolic blood pressure, DBP = diastolic blood pressure, HR = heart rate, HR_max = maximal heart rate.

Table I Baseline measurements, cross sectional analysis, males only.

	Seniors N =10	Young N =10	Master athletes N =11	p value seniors vs. young	p value seniors vs. master athletes	p value young vs. master athletes
VO2max, ml/min/kg	35.0±5.0	56.0±5.5	49.5±4.5	<0.01	0.02	<0.01
HR, b/min	66±9	56±9	53±8	0.05	<0.01	0.99
HRmax, b/min	170±8	197±5	168±8	<0.01	0.95	<0.01
BPsys, mmHg	145±17	123±8	122±16	<0.01	<0.01	0.99
BPdia, mmHg	81±9	72±4	71±9	0.04	0.04	0.99
Weight, kg	76.5±9.4	76.0±16.0	74.5±8.3	0.99	0.90	0.95
Age, years	71.7±1.3	24.8±2.3	74.3±1.8	<0.01	0.94	<0.01
BMI, kg/m^2	25.0±2.5	22.7±3.1	23.0±1.9	0.45	0.55	0.93
EDV, ml	102±13	136±19	142±21	0.04	0.02	0.99
SV, ml	79±13	85±22	102±25	0.99	0.05	0.23
CO, l	5.1±0.8	4.9±1.3	5.8±1.5	0.99	0.75	0.67
EF, %	58.7±7.2	62.2±6.7	63.7±4.8	0.65	0.24	0.99
IVRT, ms	110±18	73±12	98±13	<0.01	0.21	0.02
DecT, ms	256±40	190±47	211±49	<0.01	0.09	0.85
E/A	0.92±0.27	2.14±0.63	1.33±0.70	<0.01	0.34	<0.01
E, cm/s	0.58±0.15	0.82±0.17	0.58±0.14	<0.01	0.99	<0.01
A, cm/s	0.71±0.19	0.41±0.15	0.49±0.14	<0.01	0.01	0.86
e′, cm/s	6.9±1.5	15.7±2.2	9.0±2.1	<0.01	0.08	<0.01
S′, cm/s	7.3±0.8	9.2±1.4	8.2±1.60	0.01	0.40	0.30
a′, cm/s	11.5±2.1	6.8±1.7	10.3±2.8	<0.01	0.80	0.03
LA, ml	62.0±16.7	51.9±19.1	91.5±14.5	0.26	<0.01	<0.01
RFAC, %	46.0±9.1	53.2±7.2	39.7±7.1	0.25	0.28	<0.01
SVsubmax, ml	88±16	100±21	132±26	0.45	<0.01	0.01
COsubmax, l	10.7±2.2	15.1±3.3	14.5±1.9	<0.01	<0.01	0.99
e′submax, cm/s	12.4±2.1	13.5±1.9	14.4±1.4	0.60	0.07	0.88
S′submax,cm/s	8.4±1.8	14.1±1.1	11.9±1.2	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01

Primary outcomes: e′ = early diastolic tissue velocity, S′ = systolic tissue Doppler velocity during rest and submaximal stress test. Secondary outcomes included VO_2max = maximal oxygen uptake, HR = resting heart rate, HR_max = maximal HR, BP_sys = systolic blood pressure, BPdia = diastolic blood pressure, other echocardiographic measurements, EDV = end diastolic volume, SV = stroke volume, CO = cardiac output, EF = ejection Fraction, IVRT = isovolumic relaxation rate, DecT = deceleration time, E/A = ratio of (E) early diastolic inflow, A = late diastolic inflow/ atrial contraction, a′ = late diastolic tissue velocity, LA = left atrial volume, RFAC = right ventricular fraction area change.

Table III. Echocardiographic measurements, effect of intervention (both genders).

	Seniors N =16 (6 women)
	Pre	Post	p value
HRrest , beats/min	69 ±8	59 ±7	<0.01
HRsubmax , beats/min	133 ±12	132 ±10	0.89
EDV, ml	92 ±17	107 ±28	<0.01
SV, ml	74 ±14	81 ±19	0.03
SVsubmax , ml	84 ±15	100 ±22	<0.01
CO, ml	5.1 ±0.8	4.7 ±1.2	NS
COsubmax , l	11.0 ±2.4	13.3 ±2.7	<0.01
EF, %	60.7 ±7.0	68.7 ±6.4	<0.01
E, cm/s	0.60 ±0.14	0.70 ±0.14	0.04
A, cm/s	0.72 ±0.17	0.60 ±0.16	<0.01
E/A	0.83 ±0.28	1.16 ±0.67	<0.01
IVRT, ms	100 ±21	87 ±21	<0.01
DecT,	242 ±42	223 ±56	0.16
e′, cm/s	7.3 ±1.8	8.1 ±1.9	0.03
a′, cm/s	11.3 ±1.6	9.9 ±1.5	<0.01
S′, cm/s	7.4 ±0.9	7.4 ±1.4	0.99
RVFAC, %	46.4 ±7.3	52.0 ±7.3	<0.01
e′submax , cm/s	12.9 ±1.9	14.3 ±2.2	<0.01
S′submax , cm/s	8.0 ±1.5	10.1 ±2.1	<0.01

(HR) = heart rate, (HR_submax) = submaximal heart rate, (EDV =) end diastolic volume, (SV =) stroke volume, (EF) = ejection fraction, (E) = early diastolic inflow, (A) = late diastolic inflow/ atrial contraction, (E/A) = E/A ratio, (IVRT) = isovolumic relaxation time, (e′) = early diastolic tissue velocity, (a′) = late diastolic tissue velocity, (S′) = systolic tissue Doppler velocity, (RVFAC =) right ventricular fractional area change, (e′_submax) = early diastolic tissue velocity during stress test, (S’_submax) = systolic diastolic tissue velocity during stress test.

Table IV. Effect of intervention, comparison seniors- versus master athletes (only males).

	Seniors (N =10)				Comparison seniors-versus master athletes
	Pre	Post	p value within group	Master athletes (N =11) Baseline	p value prevalues	p value postvalues
VO2max , ml/min/kg	35.0±5.0	39.0±7.2	<0.01	49.5±4.5	<0.01	0.01
EDV, ml	102±13	124±15	<0.01	142±21	<0.01	0.05
SV, ml	79±13	87±11	<0.01	102±26	0.03	0.20
E/A	0.92±0.27	1.35±0.36	0.06	1.33±0.70	0.10	0.92
e′, cm/s	6.9±1.5	7.5±1.3	0.10	9.0±2.1	0.03	0.20
S′, cm/s	7.3±0.8	7.6±1.1	0.45	8.2±1.60	0.10	0.30
LA, ml	62.0±16.7	63.8±9.2	0.72	91.5±14.5	<0.01	<0.01
HRsubmax	126±7	128±7	0.94	118±10	0.06	0.04
SVsubmax , ml	88±16	106±20	<0.01	132±26	<0.01	0.02
COsubmax , l	10.7±2.2	13.4±2.7	<0.01	14.5±1.9	<0.01	0.40
e′submax cm/s	12.1±2.1	13.0±2.2	0.12	14.4±1.4	0.03	0.05
S′submax cm/s	8.4±1.5	10.8±1.6	<0.01	11.9±1.2	<0.01	0.20

VO_2max = maximal oxygen uptake, EDV = end diastolic volume, SV = stroke volume, E/A = E/A ratio (Early diastolic mitral inflow/late diastolic mitral inflow), e′ = early diastolic tissue velocity, S′ = systolic tissue Doppler velocity, LA = left atrial volume, e′_submax = early diastolic tissue velocity during stress test, S′_submax = systolic tissue velocity during stress test.

Figure 2. Right ventricle (RV) function measured at rest before and after intervention in senior males compared to master athletes (MA) after intervention. RV = right ventricle, S′ = systolic tissue Doppler velocity, e′ = early tissue Doppler velocity.