[Physical fitness, age and nutritional status of military personnel].

BACKGROUND

Although there is a trend toward the decrease in levels of physical fitness, the intensity of this decrease due to the aging process and the nutritional status in adult male individuals is not well-known, especially in the Brazilian population.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the levels of physical fitness according to age and the nutritional status in adult male individuals.

METHODS

Aerobic and muscular endurance tests as well as flexibility tests and nutritional status assessment were carried out in 1,011 male individuals. Analyses of correlation, covariance and prevalence ratio were performed through Poisson regression.

RESULTS

The individuals presented a moderate performance at the physical fitness tests. A decrease in the levels of physical performance according to the aging process was verified, considering all age ranges analyzed. The analysis of covariance corrected by age showed differences (p<0.001) for all tests comparing normal individuals and those with overweight/obesity. The prevalence ratios showed a strong trend toward the decrease in the physical fitness from 18 to 54 years. Individuals aged 41 to 54 years presented prevalences of low VO(2max) index that were 3.22-fold higher when compared to those aged 18 to 20 and 1.40-fold higher when compared to individuals aged 21 to 25 years. There was a decrease in the VO(2max) scores in the 18 to 20 age range, when compared to the 41 to 54 age range, of 11.45% in the normal group and 20.91% in the group with overweight and obesity.

CONCLUSION

Age and the nutritional status have a strong influence on the decreased physical performance scores, mainly after 30 years of age.