Aging and Fitness

Age related decline is intricately linked to how active we are and how much we eat throughout our lives.

Research published in the American Journal of Physiology in 2001 compared two groups of healthy sedentary men (young & older) with two groups of physically active men (young & old).

After factoring in the amount of lean body mass for each subject, the researchers discovered that metabolic decline is only related to reductions in exercise volume and energy intake. It does not occur in older men who are able to exercise and eat at a level similar to that of young, physically active men.

Men are not the only ones who can benefit from exercising at a higher intensity and eating more. Research from the University of Colorado showed that the age-related metabolic decline seen in sedentary women is not observed in women who exercise regularly.