Comparison between Sexes of the Relationships between Body Composition and Maximum Oxygen Volume in Elderly People

Abstract

Background: Performing physical activity can provide a variety of benefits; for example, it can improve one's physical condition, decrease one's fat mass, and increase one's muscle mass. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationships between the cardiorespiratory resistance and physical characteristics of people over 60 years of age. Methods: A total of 31 participants over 60 years of age from the province of Malaga (Spain) joined the study voluntarily. Results: The aerobic capacity test, called the Rockport One Mile, was carried out, and Spearman correlation and linear regression analyses between the volume of oxygen (VO2) and the body weight, body mass index (BMI) and age of the participants were performed. The results indicated that 28% (in women) and 48% (in men) of the maximum VO2 (determined by the Rockport test) was explained by the variable body weight (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The main finding of this study is that an individual's physical abilities, specifically resistance and aerobic capacity are directly related to his or her body weight and other variables in males, such as age and BMI.