Serum lipoprotein cholesterols in older oarsmen

We evaluated effects of age and rowing on concentrations of lipids and lipoprotein cholesterols in the blood. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured in 17 oarsmen [mean (SD)] [age 64 (4) years, body mass 69 (6) kg] and in sedentary men [age 65 (3) years, body mass 70 (7) kg] who were matched on the basis of body size. Also the variables were obtained from young oarsmen [age 22 (2) years, body mass 70 (4) kg] and young sedentary men [age 22 (3) years, body mass 69 (7) kg]. The percentage body fat of the older oarsmen was lower than that of the older sedentary men [18 (4)% compared to 23 (4)%, P<0.05], but it was similar to that of the young sedentary men [17 (4)%]. Although older oarsmen possessed a lower VO2max than the young oarsmen [3.0 (0.4) l·min–1 compared to 4.1 (0.3) l·min–1, P<0.01], they showed a VO2max similar to that of the young sedentary men [3.1 (0.5) l·min–1] but a higher value than obtained from the older sedentary men [2.2 (0.3) l·min–1, P<0.05]. Although the indices of risk factors for coronary artery disease in the older oarsmen were higher than those in the young oarsmen [LDL-C/HDL-C 1.7 (0.2) compared to 1.3 (0.4), TC/HDL-C 3.1 (0.2) compared to 2.6(0.4), P<0.05], they were lower than those in both the older [2.1 (0.3), 3.6 (0.3), P<0.05] and the young sedentary men [2.1 (0.4), 3.5 (0.4), P<0.05]. The results suggest that rowing is an appropriate type of exercise for the promotion of health.