Author(s): MERCIER, J., ROUSSEAU, A.S., CHORIN, F., GUÉRIN, O., LOUBAT-GAUTIER, N., COLSON, S.S., Institution: UNIVERSITÉ CÔTE D'AZUR, Country: FRANCE, Abstract-ID: 2273

INTRODUCTION:
The distinction between healthy and pathological ageing has given rise to the vitality capacity concept. Underlying the physiological aspect of ageing, vitality capacity is reflected in the neuromuscular function, the immune and stress response, and metabolism. The three domains seem to deteriorate with age, but less among individuals who maintained physical activity throughout their lives. This study aimed to examine the effect of lifelong physical activity on vitality capacity.
METHODS:
Forty healthy adults aged >55 were stratified by lifetime physical activity: 20 actives and 20 inactives with sex parity. Vitality capacity was assessed using 12 markers across three domains: neuromuscular function (handgrip, knee strength, spirometry), immune/stress response (inflammation biomarker, autonomic function, oxygen saturation, perceived immunity), energy/metabolism (metabolic biomarker, nutrition, body composition, perceived fatigue, muscle endurance). Domain-specific z-scores were computed and averaged for an overall vitality capacity score. Statistical analysis was perform using 2-way (group and sex) ANCOVA (age as covariate) and p values were corrected using Benjamini-Hochberg procedure.
RESULTS:
Significant differences advantaging lifelong active participants were observed in autonomic function (heart rate variability, 49.9 ± 27.5 vs 27.2 ± 16.7 ms), oxygen saturation (96.8 ± 1.2 vs 94.8 ± 1.8%), and fat mass (31.3 ± 6.9 vs 37.3 ± 8.0%). Aggregated domain z-scores revealed significant higher energy/metabolism (0.225 ± 0.528 vs −0.144 ± 0.564) and immune/stress response (0.215 ± 0.369 vs −0.190 ± 0.408) in lifelong active participants. Surprisingly, the neuromuscular function of lifelong participants was not significantly higher than inactive group, even if a trend was observed. Overall vitality capacity was significantly higher in the lifelong active group compared to the inactive group (0.151 ± 0.358 vs −0.116 ± 0.419).
CONCLUSION:
Our findings showed that lifelong physical activity is strongly associated with higher vitality capacity in older adults, especially among the immune and metabolic dimensions. The overall pattern of results reinforces the well-established view that lifelong athletes represent a model of successful ageing. Importantly, to our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a comprehensive assessment of vitality capacity within a defined cohort. By operationalizing and fully characterizing this construct, our work lays critical groundwork for the evolving healthy ageing paradigm. These findings not only strengthen the conceptual relevance of vitality capacity but also position lifelong athletes as a valuable reference model for future mechanistic and interventional studies on ageing trajectories.