Improving cardiorespiratory fitness, such as through regular cycling or brisk walking, can reduce the overall risk of premature death and, in particular, the likelihood of fatal heart disease.
New research involving experts from the University of South Australia (UniSA) has examined the connection between cardiorespiratory fitness and associated health effects in a study evaluation. The results are published in the “British Journal of Sports Medicine”.
Cardiorespiratory fitness and health
“Cardiorespiratory fitness is the ability to perform physical activities such as running, cycling and swimming over a longer period of time,” explains study author Professor Grant Tomkinson in a recent press release.
To identify all scientific evidence for a prospective relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and health in adults, the team evaluated 26 systematic reviews with meta-analyses that included more than 20.9 million observations from 199 cohort studies.
Increased risk of early death
The results show that a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness significantly reduces the risk of premature death.
“We summarized the evidence on the link between cardiorespiratory fitness and a range of health outcomes and found that people with low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness have a much higher risk of dying early or developing chronic diseases such as heart disease later in life,” emphasizes Professor Tomkinson .
Each metabolic equivalent (MET) increase in cardiorespiratory fitness reduces the risk of premature death by 11 to 17 percent and is also associated with up to an 18 percent lower risk of heart disease.
Improvements achievable
For most people, it is possible to achieve such an increase in cardiorespiratory fitness by one MET through regular aerobic exercise, the experts add.
It becomes clear here that people who exercise a lot not only reduce their risk of premature death, but also the likelihood of developing various diseases in the future. Lack of exercise, however, can have a negative impact on health.
According to the experts, the results confirm that cardiorespiratory fitness is an important indicator of general health.
150 minutes of walking per week
“It is clear that cardiorespiratory fitness is an important factor in good health. If you already exercise, that's good news; “But if you know that you need to improve your fitness and exercise, then this is a timely reminder,” says study author Dr. Justin Lang added.
According to the doctor, it is possible to achieve a significant improvement in health through additional moderate physical activity, such as at least 150 minutes of brisk walking per week, and thus significantly reduce the risk of illness and premature death. (as)
