David Goldspink, Professor Inflatable Tunnel of Cell and Molecular Sports Science at Liverpool John Moores University, said yesterday that women's longevity is linked to the strength of their hearts. Unlike men, they pump just as strongly at 70 as they do at 20.
"We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20-25 per cent between 18 and 70 years of age," Professor Goldspink said. "In stark contrast, over the same period there was no age-related decline in the power of the female heart, meaning that the heart of a healthy 70-year-old woman could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old's."
The dramatic difference between the sexes might explain why women live longer. The good news is that men of any age can improve the health of their heart simply by taking more regular exercise.
The results are based on the findings of a two-year study of a cross-section of the British population, which examined the effects of ageing on the cardiovascular system.
None of the volunteers had a weekly exercise routine and all were considered to have low fitness levels, but were otherwise healthy. Each volunteer underwent five hours of tests to measure their blood pressure and the performance of their heart while at rest and while they exercised on a treadmill.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
没有评论:
发表评论