CAN REGULAR EXERCISE PRESERVE YOUTHFUL METABOLIC RATE?
Resting metabolic rate (RMR) generally declines with age. Low RMR correlates with obesity and premature mortality. Is the decline in RMR inevitable, or can exercise maintain youthful RMR? This study compared 65 sedentary and physically active (runners and swimmers) premenopausal and postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women (age 21-35), RMR was tested during the follicular phase, when it is somewhat lower (progesterone raises RMR). The age range of postmenopausal women was 50-72; of premenopausal women, 21-35. Half of postmenopausal women in each group used HRT. All were non-smokers. WHR stands for Waist/Hip Ratio, a measure of central obesity (the dangerous kind). VO2max indicates maximum oxygen consumption, a measure of aerobic fitness. Here are the results comparing the sedentary and exercising premenopausal and postmenopausal women (sorry, my email messes up the table format, so I have to specify bit by bit; the figure for premenopausal women is always given first): BMI in seden
