[The characteristics of energy substrate utilization during long-term physical loading in elderly men].

Healthy young and elderly men were examined with the aim to study age peculiarities of energy provision during physical load (PhL). Changes in concentration of glucose and free fatty acids (FFA) under PhL of various intensity and duration was analyzed. It is found out that the load with force corresponding to the anaerobic threshold (AT) level of young people causes a marked drop of glucose concentration in blood accompanied by development of subjective fatigue feeling, which led to loading termination in elderly people. After such a loading a tardy restoration of glucose and FFA concentration was observed in elderly persons. Young persons during 45 min of PhL on the AT level demonstrated no evident signs of fatigue. In elderly persons long-term PhL on the individual AT level caused similar changes in glucose and FFA concentration as in young people. However, in elderly persons a slower transmission of energy formation from glucose oxidation to FFA oxidation during PhL was observed. It is quite possible that PhL on the AT level corresponds to functional potentialities of the energy provision system of working muscles in elderly people.