Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Sports Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Sports Medicine
. 2002 Jun;36(3):189–194. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.36.3.189

Randomised, controlled walking trials in postmenopausal women: the minimum dose to improve aerobic fitness?

T Asikainen 1, S Miilunpalo 1, P Oja 1, M Rinne 1, M Pasanen 1, K Uusi-Rasi 1, I Vuori 1
PMCID: PMC1724503  PMID: 12055113

Abstract

Background: The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 20–60 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five days a week at an intensity of 40/50–85% of maximal aerobic power (VO2MAX) reserve, expending a total of 700–2000 kcal (2.93–8.36 MJ) a week to improve aerobic power and body composition.

Objective: To ascertain the minimum effective dose of exercise.

Methods: Voluntary, healthy, non-obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women (n = 121), 48–63 years of age, were randomised to four low dose walking groups or a control group; 116 subjects completed the study. The exercise groups walked five days a week for 24 weeks with the following intensity (% of VO2MAX) and energy expenditure (kcal/week): group W1, 55%/1500 kcal; group W2, 45%/1500 kcal; group W3, 55%/1000 kcal; group W4, 45%/1000 kcal. VO2MAX was measured in a direct maximal treadmill test. Submaximal aerobic fitness was estimated as heart rates at submaximal work levels corresponding to 65% and 75% of the baseline VO2MAX. The body mass index (BMI) was calculated and percentage of body fat (F%) estimated from skinfolds.

Results: The net change (the differences between changes in each exercise group and the control group) in VO2MAX was 2.9 ml/min/kg (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5 to 4.2) in group W1, 2.6 ml/min/kg (95% CI 1.3 to 4.0) in group W2, 2.4 ml/min/kg (95% CI 0.9 to 3.8) in group W3, and 2.2 ml/min/kg (95% CI 0.8 to 3.5) in group W4. The heart rates in standard submaximal work decreased 4 to 8 beats/min in all the groups. There was no change in BMI, but the F% decreased by about 1% unit in all the groups.

Conclusions: Walking (for 24 weeks) at moderate intensity 45% to 55% of VO2MAX, with a total weekly energy expenditure of 1000–1500 kcal, improves VO2MAX and body composition of previously sedentary, non-obese, postmenopausal women. This dose of exercise apparently approaches the minimum effective dose.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (119.9 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blair S. N., Kohl H. W., Gordon N. F., Paffenbarger R. S., Jr How much physical activity is good for health? Annu Rev Public Health. 1992;13:99–126. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pu.13.050192.000531. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Branch J. D., Pate R. R., Bourque S. P. Moderate intensity exercise training improves cardiorespiratory fitness in women. J Womens Health Gend Based Med. 2000 Jan-Feb;9(1):65–73. doi: 10.1089/152460900318984. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Deurenberg P., Weststrate J. A., van der Kooy K. Is an adaptation of Siri's formula for the calculation of body fat percentage from body density in the elderly necessary? Eur J Clin Nutr. 1989 Aug;43(8):559–567. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Duncan J. J., Gordon N. F., Scott C. B. Women walking for health and fitness. How much is enough? JAMA. 1991 Dec 18;266(23):3295–3299. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Durnin J. V., Womersley J. Body fat assessed from total body density and its estimation from skinfold thickness: measurements on 481 men and women aged from 16 to 72 years. Br J Nutr. 1974 Jul;32(1):77–97. doi: 10.1079/bjn19740060. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Haskell W. L. J.B. Wolffe Memorial Lecture. Health consequences of physical activity: understanding and challenges regarding dose-response. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1994 Jun;26(6):649–660. doi: 10.1249/00005768-199406000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Howley E. T., Bassett D. R., Jr, Welch H. G. Criteria for maximal oxygen uptake: review and commentary. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995 Sep;27(9):1292–1301. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jakicic J. M., Wing R. R., Butler B. A., Robertson R. J. Prescribing exercise in multiple short bouts versus one continuous bout: effects on adherence, cardiorespiratory fitness, and weight loss in overweight women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1995 Dec;19(12):893–901. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kukkonen-Harjula K., Laukkanen R., Vuori I., Oja P., Pasanen M., Nenonen A., Uusi-Rasi K. Effects of walking training on health-related fitness in healthy middle-aged adults--a randomized controlled study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1998 Aug;8(4):236–242. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.1998.tb00198.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Morris J. N., Hardman A. E. Walking to health. Sports Med. 1997 May;23(5):306–332. doi: 10.2165/00007256-199723050-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Murphy M. H., Hardman A. E. Training effects of short and long bouts of brisk walking in sedentary women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998 Jan;30(1):152–157. doi: 10.1097/00005768-199801000-00021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Pate R. R. Physical activity and health: dose-response issues. Res Q Exerc Sport. 1995 Dec;66(4):313–317. doi: 10.1080/02701367.1995.10607917. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ready A. E., Naimark B., Ducas J., Sawatzky J. V., Boreskie S. L., Drinkwater D. T., Oosterveen S. Influence of walking volume on health benefits in women post-menopause. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Sep;28(9):1097–1105. doi: 10.1097/00005768-199609000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Sports Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES