Physical Activity, All-Cause Mortality, and Longevity of College Alumni

Abstract

We examined the physical activity and other life-style characteristics of 16,936 Harvard alumni, aged 35 to 74, for relations to rates of mortality from all causes and for influences on length of life. A total of 1413 alumni died during 12 to 16 years of follow-up (1962 to 1978). Exercise reported as walking, stair climbing, and sports play related inversely to total mortality, primarily to death due to cardiovascular or respiratory causes. Death rates declined steadily as energy expended on such activity increased from less than 500 to 3500 kcal per week, beyond which rates increased slightly. Rates were one quarter to one third lower among alumni expending 2000 or more kcal during exercise per week than among less active men. With or without consideration of hypertension, cigarette smoking, extremes or gains in body weight, or early parental death, alumni mortality rates were significantly lower among the physically active. Relative risks of death for individuals were highest among cigarette smokers and men with hypertension, and attributable risks in the community were highest among smokers and sedentary men. By the age of 80, the amount of additional life attributable to adequate exercise, as compared with sedentariness, was one to more than two years.

Performance diagnostics in handbiking during competition

“…4,11,12 The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), for example, recommends an additional energy consumption by endurance sport on 3 days/week with a moderate intensity to prevent arteriosclerotic diseases. 13 According to the examinations by Paffenbarger et al (1986) 14 a clearly higher additional weekly energy expenditure of 2000-2500 kcal or an additional daily energy expenditure of approx. 300-350 kcal leads to the greatest possible reduction of the risk of myocardial infarction.…”

Integrated effects of the vasodilating beta-blocker nebivolol on exercise performance, energy metabolism, cardiovascular and neurohormonal parameters in physically active patients with arterial hypertension

“…Sports activities at this level mediate significant reductions in cardiovascular events and optimal adjustments of the cardiovascular risk profile including lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. 3,5,25 With respect to betablocking agents there is conflicting data on their suitability in the treatment of physically active patients with EH. The beneficial haemodynamic profile with marked antihypertensive effects during exercise may be counteracted by negative effects on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as on exercise performance.…”

Physical Activity in the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease

“…The authors concluded that running for even 5 to 10 min/d or 50 min/wk at a low speed of <6 miles/h (<10 km/h) markedly reduces the risk of death 13. However, in subgroups with the highest running intensity, the impact of running on mortality leveled off, whereas other trials even showed a loss of mortality reduction in healthy subjects and patients with CAD with high exercise intensities 10, 16, 17, 18. O′Keefe et al reviewed the pathophysiologic mechanisms of potential adverse cardiovascular effects from long‐term excessive endurance exercise, such as ultramarathons, ironman distance triathlons, or long‐distance bicycle races, which might diminish exercise‐related mortality benefits 19.…”