Exercise training in older men and women: Effects on cardiovascular and renal function

This study investigated the effects of endurance exercise training on cardiovascular and renal function in healthy, older adults. Twenty-three sedentary men and women, 68.2 ± 4.6 (mean ± SD) years of age completed medical screening, including ECG studies and serum chemistries, graded exercise testing, maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) determinations, and renal function testing prior to being randomly assigned to an exercise group (EG, n = 13), or to a non-exercising control group (CG, n = 10). The EG completed 16 weeks (3-bouts · wk^?1) of supervised exercise training on treadmills and stair-climbers, progressing in intensity from 50% to 85% of maximal heart rate reserve. Effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured by single-bolus I.V. radioisotope injections, VO₂max was measured during maximum exercise testing. The EG showed a significant increase in VO₂max (from 21.8 ml · kg^?1 min^?1 to 26.0 ml · kg^?1 · min^?1; p = 0.0009), while the CG showed no change (p = 0.05). There were no significant changes in ERPF or GFR in either group after the 16-wk training or control periods (p > 0.05). These data suggest that although endurance exercise training improves cardiorespiratory function in older adults, renal function is neither improved nor adversely affected.