Table 1

Population characteristics according to sex and age

	Males			Females
	20–39 yrs	40–59 yrs	60–80 yrs	20–39 yrs	40–59 yrs	60–80 yrs
Anthropometric
Height cm	171.2±5.3**	166.5±6.7	167.4±6.2	160.3±6.7**^,##	156.9±5.8^##	155.2±6.2^##
Weight kg	72.8±10.7	77.0±15.2	73.7±8.5	63.9±13.8^##	63.4±10.7^##	62.8±8.5^##
BMI kg·m⁻²	25.2±3.3	27.1±5.2	25.9±3.1	27.5±8.2	26.3±3.6	26.0±3.5
Resting functional
FVC % pred	93.3±10.5	104.5±8.7	96.3±7.9	90.5±8.1	98.5±10.1	101.7±12.9
FEV₁ % pred	89.7±7.5	93.1±5.9	90.5±8.1	92.5±10.3	87.9±5.7	98.1±12.0
FEV₁/FVC	0.80±0.06	0.77±0.04	0.75±0.05	0.83±0.04	0.78±0.04	0.75±0.04
TLC % pred	108.3±14.2	95.2±12.5	102.9±11.9	90.8±18.1	110.1±10.3	105.3±15.8
D_L,CO % pred	98.3±18.6	105.2±15.5	89.9±12.9	100.8±20.1	111.1±21.8	106.4±17.8
MIP cmH₂O	133.3±19.4**	117.4±25.5	92.5±24.3	93.6±11.4**	84.4±9.1^##	75.7±4.8^##
MVV L·min⁻¹	168.5±25.6**	140.4±30.3	120.7±23.2	124.2±12.1**^,##	110.9±14.3^##	94.6±18.6^##
Peak exercise
Work-rate W	185±32**	143±30	105±19	116±19**^,##	93±17^##	61±15^##
V′_O₂ mL·min⁻¹	2621±366**	2085±345	1585±210	1679±228**^,##	1319±143^##	1052±116^##
RER	1.21±0.08	1.18±0.06	1.17±0.10	1.16±0.08	1.15±0.09	1.12±0.10
f_C beats·min⁻¹	187±10**	169±11	149±17	182±12**	174±11	148±17
% pred	99.3±3.1	95.0±3.5	101.3±3.5	97.7±3.5	101.1±3.4	102.5±2.2
V′_E,max L·min⁻¹	119.6±28.3**	98.7±22.2	76.7±11.7	75.8±13.7**^,##	67.3±11.2^##	50.1±10.0^##
V′_E,max/MVV	0.69±0.12	0.69±0.11	0.67±0.13	0.60±0.11^##	0.60±0.11^##	0.56±0.12^##

Data are presented as mean±sd (n=20 for each group)
BMI: body mass index
FVC: forced vital capacity
FEV₁: forced expiratory volume in one second
TLC: total lung capacity
D_L,CO: lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide
MIP: maximal inspiratory pressure
MVV: maximal voluntary ventilation
V′_O₂: oxygen uptake
RER: respiratory exchange ratio
f_C: cardiac frequency
V′_E,max: maximal minute ventilation
% pred: percentage of the predicted value
**: p<0.01 versus other age groups within sex
^##: p<0.01 versus males