Higher levels of upper- and lower-body muscular strength are associated with a lower risk of mortality in adult population, regardless of age and follow-up period. Muscular strength tests can be easily performed to identify people with lower muscular strength and, consequently, with an increased risk of mortality.

Substantial evidence has established the value of high levels of physical activity (PA), exercise training (ET), and overall cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This paper reviews some basics of exercise physiology and the acute and chronic responses of ET, as well as the impact of PA and CRF on CVD. This review also surveys data from epidemiologic and ET studies in the primary and secondary prevention of CVD, particularly coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart failure (HF). These data strongly support the routine prescription of ET to all patients and referrals for patients with CVD, especially CHD and HF, to specific cardiac rehabilitation and ET programs.

Habitual physical activity and regular exercise training improve cardiovascular health and longevity. A physically active lifestyle is, therefore, a key aspect of primary and secondary prevention strategies. An appropriate volume and intensity are essential to maximally benefit from exercise interventions. This document summarizes available evidence on the relationship between the exercise volume and risk reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the risks and benefits of moderate- versus high-intensity exercise interventions are compared. Findings are presented for the general population and cardiac patients eligible for cardiac rehabilitation. Finally, the controversy of excessive volumes of exercise in the athletic population is discussed.

Considerable evidence has established the link between high levels of physical activity (PA) and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific mortality. Running is a popular form of vigorous PA that has been associated with better overall survival, but there is debate about the dose-response relationship between running and CVD and all-cause survival. In this review, we specifically reviewed studies published in PubMed since 2000 that included at least 500 runners and 5-year follow-up so as to analyze the relationship between vigorous aerobic PA, specifically running, and major health consequences, especially CVD and all-cause mortality. We also made recommendations on the optimal dose of running associated with protection against CVD and premature mortality, as well as briefly discuss the potential cardiotoxicity of a high dose of aerobic exercise, including running (eg, marathons).

Objective To assess the independent and joint associations between self-reported physical activity (PA) and objectively measured cardiorespiratory fi tness (CRF) from a maximal treadmill exercise test and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a large cohort of men. Methods Participants for the current analysis were 23 444 men aged 20-85 years free of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer or diabetes at baseline. Incident diabetes were identifi ed from mail-back surveys. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs), 95% confi dence intervals (CIs) and diabetes incidence rates (per 10 000 man-years) according to exposure categories. Results During an average of 18 years of follow-up, 589 incident cases of diabetes were identifi ed. After adjusting for age, examination year, survey response pattern, body mass index, smoking, drinking, fasting glucose, chronic diseases and family history of CVD or diabetes, the walking/jogging/running (WJR) and sport/fi tness groups had a 40% and 28% lower risk of developing diabetes compared with the sedentary men, respectively (both p < 0.05). For CRF, diabetes incidence rates were 31.9, 14.5 and 6.5 for low-, moderate-and high-fi tness groups, respectively. After adjustment for the above covariables, moderate and high CRF had a 38% and 63% lower risk of developing diabetes compared with the low CRF group (p trend<0.0001). Conclusion Our fi ndings showed a lower risk of developing diabetes for men who participated in a WJR programme or sport/fi tness activity, compared with those who were sedentary. Higher levels of fi tness were associated with an inverse gradient of incident diabetes.