According to an Associated Press report, a treadmill test carried out on different age groups, reveals that the aerobic capacity decreases as people grow older.
"I guess we were a little disappointed that regular exercise didn't make a difference in the rate of decline," The Associated Press quoted Dr. Jerome L. Fleg, the lead author of the study, as saying. He is a cardiologist and a medical officer at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in Maryland.
Yet, he says that those who exercise enjoy higher aerobic capacity. "If I start higher, I'm going to end higher," The Associated Press quoted Fleg as saying, "Having a higher aerobic capacity translates into being more fit."
The study has been published in online edition of the American Heart Association journal Circulation on Monday. 435 men and 375 women between 21 and 87 years took part in the study.
The Associated Press reports that researchers have found that the volunteers' aerobic capacity deteriorates at a rate of 3 percent to 6 percent per decade. The aerobic capacity of people in the range of 70s and beyond goes down more than 20 percent per decade.
"People who have low aerobic capacity may not even be able to make their bed," Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist and chief of Women's Cardiac Care at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, has told The Associated Press.
"There is a decline with aging, but older people should be in programs to improve their regular function capacity because it will increase their independence," The Associated Press quoted Goldberg as saying, "It'll offset some of the decline. What I really don't want people to take away from this study is 'don't bother.'"
