Association of physical activity levels on cardiovascular and respiratory indicators in BMI-matched Middle-aged Chinese men

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the association of different physical activity levels on the physiological indicators of middle-aged men. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was administered to classify 177 middle-aged men (aged 40–59 years) from urban areas of Shandong, China into three groups: 45 with high physical activity, 57 with moderate physical activity, and 75 with low physical activity. Among these, 20 individuals in each group completed measurements of height, weight, resting blood pressure (BP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), ankle-brachial index (ABI), vital capacity (VC) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max). Statistical differences in VO_2max, PWV, VC, ABIR, and ABIL between the high and low physical activity groups, and in VC and PWV between the moderate and low physical activity groups were found. However, no statistical differences in BP, and BMI among three groups were found. In conclusion, higher levels of physical activity are associated with improved cardiovascular and respiratory health in middle-aged Chinese men, and physical activity level has minimal association on BP and BMI indicators in the Shandong region.