Table 1.
Features of studied participants
| Young women (A) (n = 65) | Old women (B) (n = 41) | Young men (C) (n = 58) | Old men (D) (n = 28) | Significant differences | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic and clinical data | |||||
| Age (years) | 36.2 ± 9.0a | 70.9 ± 5.2 | 36.2 ± 7.7 | 69.1 ± 7.1 | |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 28.9 ± 1.8 | 29.0 ± 4.4 | 29.8 ± 2.0 | 27.5 ± 3.1 | C vs D |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 90.0 ± 5.7 | 99.6 ± 11.2 | 100.9 ± 6.0 | 98.8 ± 9.0 | A vs B C D |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 115.5 ± 10.7 | 128.5 ± 14.3 | 122.8 ± 9.6 | 131.8 ± 16.5 | A vs C D C vs D |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 75.1 ± 8.7 | 71.5 ± 10.0 | 75.2 ± 7.7 | 82.1 ± 11.0 | NS |
| Handgrip strength (kg) | 25.0 ± 4.4 | 19.4 ± 4.1 | 42.3 ± 7.6 | 28.5 ± 5.6 | All groups different |
| Handgrip strength (z score) | 0.88 ± 1.60 | − 0.35 ± 0.80 | 0.17 ± 1.57 | −0.79 ± 1.18 | A vs D C vs D |
| Body composition (DEXA) | |||||
| Total fat free mass (kg) | 38.48 ± 2.92 | 35.46 ± 4.07 | 56.40 ± 5.96 | 47.97 ± 6.40 | All groups different |
| Total fat mass (kg) | 30.99 ± 3.76 | 30.24 ± 8.07 | 29.84 ± 4.76 | 24.04 ± 5.40 | D vs A B C |
| Appendicular fat free mass (kg) | 16.00 ± 1.52 | 14.10 ± 2.24 | 24.86 ± 2.97 | 19.61 ± 3.28 | All groups different |
| Appendicular fat free mass index (kg/m2) | 6.44 ± 0.50 | 6.04 ± 0.92 | 8.33 ± 0.84 | 7.14 ± 0.93 | All groups different |
| Appendicular fat mass (kg) | 13.30 ± 2.34 | 12.29 ± 3.42 | 10.51 ± 2.18 | 7.92 ± 1.78 | A vs C D B vs C D C vs D |
| Percentage of skeletal muscle mass (%) | 25.59 ± 1.88 | 22.96 ± 2.03 | 32.59 ± 2.39 | 29.53 ± 1.80 | All groups different |
| Appendicular fat free mass (z score) | 0.66 ± 0.80 | 0.43 ± 1.15 | 0.76 ± 0.90 | − 0.02 ± 1.14 | D vs A C |
| Percentage of skeletal muscle mass (z score) | −0.38 ± 0.70 | −0.12 ± 0.70 | −0.33 ± 0.79 | −0.33 ± 0.51 | D vs A |
| International physical activity questionnaire | |||||
| Total physical activity (MET-minutes/week) | 630 (264–1252)b | 1155 (531–2346) | 1173 (626–1944) | 1179 (544–2071) | A vs B C D |
| Exercise calorimetry | |||||
| Peak oxygen uptake (ml/min/kg) | 17.6 ± 4.2 | 8.5 ± 2.3 | 25.6 ± 5.8 | 12.0 ± 3.2 | All groups different |
| Peak respiratory exchange ratio (VCO2/VO2) | 1.3 ± 0.1 | 1.3 ± 0.2 | 1.3 ± 0.2 | 1.3 ± 0.2 | NS |
| Peak workload (Watt) | 121.9 ± 30.5 | 41.0 ± 18.6 | 208.9 ± 50.3 | 66.1 ± 21.4 | All groups different |
| Gross muscle efficiency (%) | 26.0 ± 6.3 | 19.3 ± 7.8 | 24.4 ± 3.2 | 19.5 ± 4.2 | D vs A C |
| Seventy two hours actigraphy | |||||
| Physical activity level (Total/Resting energy expenditure) | 1.51 ± 0.23 | 1.39 ± 0.17 | 1.83 ± 0.41 | 1.59 ± 0.16 | A vs C D B vs C D C vs D |
| Activity energy expenditure (Kcal/day) | 530 (380–837) | 287 (211–380) | 1047 (679–1702) | 653 (541–695) | A vs B C B vs C D C vs D |
a= mean ± standard deviation b = median (interquartile range)