The effect of chronic habitual exercise on oxygen carrying capacity and blood compartment volumes in older adults

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Abstract

Absolute total hemoglobin mass (tHbmass) and blood compartment volumes are often considered to be higher in endurance athletes compared with nonathletes, yet little data support a fitness effect in older age. Therefore, we measured tHbmass and blood compartment volumes (carbon monoxide rebreathing) in 77 healthy individuals (23% female; aged, 60–87 yr). Participants were recruited into groups based upon their lifelong (>25 yr) exercise “dose”: 1) 15 sedentary individuals, <2 sessions/wk; 2) 25 casual exercisers, 2–3 sessions/wk; 3) 24 committed exercisers, 4–5 sessions/wk; and 4) 13 competitive Masters athletes, 6–7 sessions/wk, plus regular competitions. Absolute (L/min) and relative (mL/kg/min) V_ O2peak were higher with increasing exercise “dose” (P ¼ 0.0005 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, and absolute tHbmass and blood compartment volumes were not significantly different between groups (all, P > 0.1328). When scaled to body mass, tHbmass (Sedentary, 9.2 ± 1.7 mL/kg; Casual, 9.2 ± 1.3; Committed, 10.2 ± 1.4; Competitive, 11.5 ± 1.4, ANOVA P < 0.0001) and blood volume were significantly different between groups [Sedentary, 63.4 (59.2–68.5) mL/kg; Casual, 67.3 (64.4–72.6); Committed, 73.5 (67.5–80.2); Competitive, 83.4 (78.9–88.6), ANOVA P < 0.0001], whereby all values were highest in Masters athletes. However, when scaled to fat-free mass (FFM), tHbmass and blood compartment volumes were greater in Competitive compared with Casual exercisers (all, P < 0.0340) and tHbmass and erythrocyte volume were also higher in Committed compared with Casual exercisers (both, P < 0.0134). In conclusion, absolute tHbmass and blood compartment volumes are not different between groups, with dose-dependent differences only among exercisers when scaled for FFM, with the highest tHbmass and blood compartment volumes in competitive Masters athletes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)984-993
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of applied physiology
Volume136
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2024

Keywords

  • blood volume
  • habitual exercise
  • hemoglobin
  • oxygen carrying capacity
  • oxygen uptake

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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