Exercise

Peak exercise capacity & mortality in men

Statistically, every increase in exercise capacity by one MET yields a 12 percent improvement in survival.

Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Schicho

Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Schicho

— 1 min read

To understand the extent of how exercise might decrease mortality, a total of 6.213 men during a mean of 6.2 years of follow-up were enrolled in this study by Jonathan Myers e.a. from the Stanford University Medical Center, published in 2022.

They found that - independent of age! - the best predictors of an increased risk of death was

  • a low peak exercise capacity,
  • followed by pack-years of smoking.

Statistically, every increase in exercise capacity by one MET yielded a 12 percent improvement in survival.

"One MET (= metabolic equivalent) is defined as the energy expended in sitting quietly, which is equivalent to a body oxygen consumption of approximately 3.5 ml per kilogram of body weight per minute for an average adult."

With a peak exercise capacity of >8 MET, after 14 years 80% of men were still alive. With a peak exercise capacity of <5 MET, 45% of men were still alive. (Fig. 3A)
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What's in for me?

Have a high peak exercise capacity and refrain from smoking.

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