Puehringer, Reinhard, Martin Berger, Michael Said, and Martin Burtscher. Age-dependent health status and cardiorespiratory fitness in Austrian military mountain guides. High Alt Med Biol. 21:346–351, 2020.
Background:
Mountaineering activities (at moderate and high altitudes) require a relatively high level of physical fitness, which may be closely associated with healthy aging. This cross-sectional study was aimed at evaluating the age-dependent health status and fitness level in Austrian military mountain guides.
Methods:
A total of 166 professional mountain guides were recruited for a comprehensive health check and exercise testing. Comparisons were made between 3 different age groups, that is, ≤40 years (n = 74), 41–50 years (n = 70), and >50 years (n = 22). Besides exercise capacity, anthropometric, biomedical, and cardiorespiratory parameters have been assessed.
Results:
None of the assessed parameters differed between age group 1 and 2. A slight increase was observed in the age group 3 concerning body weight, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and urea levels, and resting systemic blood pressure values. Peak aerobic capacity and maximal heart rates were slightly lower in this age group than the younger groups. When compared with the general population, mountain guides of similar age showed lower prevalence of being overweight, and suffering from systemic hypertension and diabetes.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate favorable aging of mountain guides occupationally performing mountaineering activities (at moderate and high altitudes), characterized by maintaining a high fitness level and developing reduced cardiovascular risk factors until older than 50 years.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BrothersMD, WilberRL, and ByrnesWC. (2007). Physical fitness and hematological changes during acclimatization to moderate altitude: A retrospective study. High Alt Med Biol, 8:213–224.
2.
BurtscherJ, and BurtscherM. (2020). Run for your life: Tweaking the weekly physical activity volume for longevity. Br J Sports Med, 54:759–760.
3.
BurtscherJ, GattererH, FaulhaberM, and BurtscherM. (2017). Exercise capacity of amateur mountain runners and ski mountaineers. High Alt Med Biol, 18:436–437.
4.
BurtscherM. (2004). Endurance performance of the elderly mountaineer: Requirements, limitations, testing, and training. Wien Klin Wochenschr, 116:703–714.
5.
BurtscherM. (2013). Exercise limitations by the oxygen delivery and utilization systems in aging and disease: Coordinated adaptation and deadaptation of the lung-heart muscle axis—a mini-review. Gerontology, 59:289–296.
6.
BurtscherM. (2016). Lower mortality rates in those living at moderate altitude. Aging (Albany NY), 8:2603–2604.
7.
BurtscherM. (2017). Risk and protective factors for sudden cardiac death during leisure activities in the mountains: An update. Heart Lung Circ, 26:757–762.
8.
BurtscherM, BodnerT, BurtscherJ, RuedlG, KoppM, and BroessnerG. (2013). Life-style characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors in regular downhill skiers: An observational study. BMC Public Health, 13:788.
9.
BurtscherM, FörsterH, and BurtscherJ. (2008). Superior endurance performance in aging mountain runners. Gerontology, 54:268–271.
10.
BurtscherM, GattererH, and KleinsasserA. (2015). Cardiorespiratory fitness of high altitude mountaineers: The underestimated prerequisite. High Alt Med Biol, 16:169–170.
11.
Carrick-RansonG, HastingsJL, BhellaPS, FujimotoN, ShibataS, PalmerMD, BoydK, LivingstonS, DijkE, and LevineBD. (2014). The effect of lifelong exercise dose on cardiovascular function during exercise. J Appl Physiol (1985), 116:736–745.
12.
CerretelliP. (1992). Muscle energetics and ultrastructure in chronic hypoxia. Respiration, 59(Suppl 2):24–29.
13.
CreightonBC, HydePN, MareshCM, KraemerWJ, PhinneySD, and VolekJS. (2018). Paradox of hypercholesterolaemia in highly trained, keto-adapted athletes. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med, 4:e000429.
14.
EkelundU, Steene-JohannessenJ, BrownWJ, FagerlandMW, OwenN, PowellKE, BaumanA, and Lee I-M for the Lancet Physical Activity Series 2 ExecutiveCommittee, the Lancet Sedentary Behaviour WorkingGroup. (2016). Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women. Lancet, 388:1302–1310.
15.
FaehD, GutzwillerF, BoppM, and GroupSNCS. (2009). Lower mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke at higher altitudes in Switzerland. Circulation, 120:495–501.
16.
GolightlyYM, AllenKD, AmbroseKR, StillerJL, EvensonKR, VoisinC, HootmanJM, and CallahanLF. (2017). Physical activity as a vital sign: A systematic review. Prev Chronic Dis, 14:e123.
17.
HauserA, TroeschS, SaugyJJ, SchmittL, Cejuela-AntaR, FaissR, SteinerT, RobinsonN, MilletGP, and WehrlinJP. (2017). Individual hemoglobin mass response to normobaric and hypobaric “live high-train low”: A one-year crossover study. J Appl Physiol (1985), 123:387–393.
18.
HuangY, and LiuX. (2014). Leisure-time physical activity and the risk of metabolic syndrome: Meta-analysis. Eur J Med Res, 19:22.
19.
JungME, SimpkinsJW, WilsonAM, DowneyHF, and MalletRT. (2008). Intermittent hypoxia conditioning prevents behavioral deficit and brain oxidative stress in ethanol-withdrawn rats. J Appl Physiol (1985), 105:510–517.
20.
KatayamaK, MatsuoH, IshidaK, MoriS, and MiyamuraM. (2003). Intermittent hypoxia improves endurance performance and submaximal exercise efficiency. High Alt Med Biol, 4:291–304.
21.
KodamaS, TanakaS, SaitoK, ShuM, SoneY, OnitakeF, SuzukiE, ShimanoH, YamamotoS, KondoK, OhashiY, YamadaN, and SoneH. (2007). Effect of aerobic exercise training on serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: A meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med, 167:999–1008.
22.
KokkinosP. (2008). Physical activity and cardiovascular disease prevention: Current recommendations. Angiology, 59(2 Suppl):26S–29S.
23.
KokkinosP, MyersJ, FaselisC, PanagiotakosDB, DoumasM, PittarasA, ManolisA, KokkinosJP, KarasikP, GreenbergM, PapademetriouV, and FletcherR. (2010). Exercise capacity and mortality in older men: A 20-year follow-up study. Circulation, 122:790–797.
24.
LacombeJ, ArmstrongMEG, WrightFL, and FosterC. (2019). The impact of physical activity and an additional behavioural risk factor on cardiovascular disease, cancer and all-cause mortality: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 19:900.
25.
LavieCJ, OzemekC, CarboneS, KatzmarzykPT, and BlairSN. (2019). Sedentary behavior, exercise, and cardiovascular health. Circ Res, 124:799–815.
26.
LeeDC, ArteroEG, SuiX, and BlairSN. (2010). Mortality trends in the general population: The importance of cardiorespiratory fitness. J Psychopharmacol, 24(4 Suppl):27–35.
27.
LooneyDP, SanteeWR, HansenEO, BonventrePJ, ChalmersCR, and PotterAW. (2019). Estimating energy expenditure during level, uphill, and downhill walking. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 51:1954–1960.
28.
LyaminaNP, LyaminaSV, SenchikninVN, MalletRT, DowneyHF, and ManukhinaEB. (2011). Normobaric hypoxia conditioning reduces blood pressure and normalizes nitric oxide synthesis in patients with arterial hypertension. J Hypertens, 29:2265–2272.
29.
MalletRT, ManukhinaEB, RuelasSS, CaffreyJL, and DowneyHF. (2018). Cardioprotection by intermittent hypoxia conditioning: Evidence, mechanisms, and therapeutic potential. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 315:H216–H232.
30.
MandsagerK, HarbS, CremerP, PhelanD, NissenSE, and JaberW. (2018). Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with long-term mortality among adults undergoing exercise treadmill testing. JAMA Netw Open, 1:e183605.
31.
ManukhinaEB, DowneyHF, and MalletRT. (2006). Role of nitric oxide in cardiovascular adaptation to intermittent hypoxia. Exp Biol Med (Maywood), 231:343–365.
32.
MensinkGB, LooseN, and OomenCM. (1997). Physical activity and its association with other lifestyle factors. Eur J Epidemiol, 13:771–778.
33.
MyersJ, PrakashM, FroelicherV, DoD, PartingtonS, and AtwoodJE. (2002). Exercise capacity and mortality among men referred for exercise testing. N Engl J Med, 346:793–801.
34.
RomanMA, RossiterHB, and CasaburiR. (2016). Exercise, ageing and the lung. Eur Respir J, 48:1471–1486.
35.
SchegaL, PeterB, BrigadskiT, LeßmannV, IsermannB, HamacherD, and TörpelA. (2016). Effect of intermittent normobaric hypoxia on aerobic capacity and cognitive function in older people. J Sci Med Sport, 19:941–945.
36.
SerebrovskayaTV, and XiL. (2016). Intermittent hypoxia training as non-pharmacologic therapy for cardiovascular diseases: Practical analysis on methods and equipment. Exp Biol Med (Maywood), 241:1708–1723.
37.
StrasserB, and BurtscherM. (2018). Survival of the fittest: VO. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed), 23:1505–1516.
38.
ThierschM, and SwensonER. (2018). High altitude and cancer mortality. High Alt Med Biol, 19:116–123.
39.
ThompsonPD, BuchnerD, PinaIL, BaladyGJ, WilliamsMA, MarcusBH, BerraK, BlairSN, CostaF, FranklinB, FletcherGF, GordonNF, PateRR, RodriguezBL, YanceyAK, and WengerNK. (2003). Exercise and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A statement from the Council on Clinical Cardiology (Subcommittee on Exercise, Rehabilitation, and Prevention) and the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism (Subcommittee on Physical Activity). Circulation, 107:3109–3116.
40.
TörpelA, PeterB, HamacherD, and SchegaL. (2019). Dose-response relationship of intermittent normobaric hypoxia to stimulate erythropoietin in the context of health promotion in young and old people. Eur J Appl Physiol, 119:1065–1074.
