Effects of age and counseling on the cardiorespiratory response to graded exercise.

Purpose: To report on the normative cardiorespiratory response to a graded exercise test in a group of healthy males, 30-69 yr of age (n = 816), and to test the effect of health and fitness counseling on cardiorespiratory fitness in a subset of healthy subjects (n = 87, mean follow-up = 7.3 yr) who returned for at least five subsequent visits.

Methods: As part of a preventive medicine service, each subject performed an incremental exercise test to exhaustion on a treadmill.