The Importance of VO2 Max
The first group of participants were an average of 75 years old and had been staying in shape via aerobic exercise for five to six days a week, averaging seven hours per week. Of the 21 men in the group, 14 of them were subdivided into a “performance” group who competed at a higher level and intensity than the “fitness” group. Seven of the participants were women.
Group two was made up of 20 participants in the same age group—10 men, 10 women—who were healthy but did not participate in structured aerobic exercise.
Group three consisted of 20 participants—again, 10 men and 10 women—averaging 25 years old with the same regular exercise habits as group one.
All three groups were assessed in nine sessions over a six week period. Some of the evaluations included blood draws, resting and exercise electrocardiogram, VO2 max, MRI, and postexercise muscle biopsies.