when we get old we notice how we wrinkle on the outside, but we do not see the wrinkles on the inside. Like our car, our mechanisms notice the passage of time, although it can be more or less noticeable depending on our lifestyle. Lung function is one such mechanism that declines. What does this worsening entail? Can we make it go slower?
The physical activity can slow the decline in lung function caused by age, as well as the associated aerobic capacity in healthy individuals. That is the finding of several authors who have published their research in the prestigious journal Sports Medicine.
It is nothing new that physical activity is a valid polypill to prevent and treat a wide range of diseases. Knowing that the maximum oxygen volume is related to morbidity and mortality, and that physical activity prevents its drastic drop with age, we can say that physical activity contributes to reducing the risk of morbidity and mortality.
From the 30 – 40 years begins the decline in lung function, and it becomes more pronounced as we age. Aerobic training helps slow down this lung deterioration by maintaining, among other things, our maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max).
A decreased VO2max is a major problem as it is closely related to the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Smoking is one of the examples that decreases our lung function and thereby increases the risk of disease and death.
Changes in lung function that slow down with physical activity
The elasticity of the heart is one of the changes that occur as we age and that can be lost more or less quickly depending on our lifestyle. Hyperkyphosis (hump) is related to decreased lung function, thus losing performance in the respiratory muscles.
The lungs also reduce with age their lung diffusing capacity and other mechanical propertiesespecially when we move. That’s where physical activity comes into play that could, at least in part, counteract those processes that reduce lung function as we age.
There are several studies that indicate a slower decline in lung function in older subjects who have been performing resistance training of a certain intensity throughout their lives. Swapping the time we spend sitting for physical activity leads to significant improvements in lung function.
At the moment not known as there are no longitudinal studies (over time) who have investigated it. In large part it is due to the influence of many other variables, such as smoking. What we can highlight is that there is growing evidence of the beneficial effects of regular physical activity on lung function.
If maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) is related to lung function, it can be said, based on current knowledge, that physical activity may slow deterioration of muscle function typical of aging, and with it of morbidity and mortality along that path.
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