Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Aging; Exercise for older people; Exercise--Physiological aspects;
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to search for relationships between lifestyle factors and the number of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) suffered per year in older runners. A cover letter and questionnaire were mailed to 1400 members of the Combelt Running Club. It questioned subjects about life-style factors like: (a) education, (b) occupation, (c) race, (d) activity, (e) cold episodes, (f) vitamin/mineral supplements, (g) stress, (h) diet, (i) smoking, (j) alcohol, (k) weight, (1) height, (m) caffeine, and (n) self-remedy for a cold. One hundred and thirty subjects aged 50 years of age and older participated in this study. The mean number of colds reported in an average year was 1.4, with a range of 0 to 6. Ninety-five percent of the subjects were of Caucasian race, 68% of the respondents were male, 98% believed themselves to be in "excellent" or "good" health, and alcohol and nicotine use was low. Over half of the subjects selected some form of aerobic activity as their exercise method of choice, generally running. Subjects exercising with the most frequency were found to incur more cold episodes than those exercising at lower frequencies. Heavy caffeine users were found to be affected with more (URTls) than individuals who reportedly used less quantities. Psychological factors are believed to play a significant role in the development of URTis. Subjects who perceived themselves to have the lowest level of stress reported an average of one cold per year in contrast to individuals who reported higher stress levels and an average of 1.5 colds per year. Subjects also perceived themselves to be healthier than their peers (98% ), more activity than their peers, and they believed themselves to recover from an illness quicker than their peers (74%). The majority took vitamin/mineral supplements, averaged 5-7 hours of sleep per night and followed a fiber or sodium modified diet with fat or cholesterol restrictions incorporated.
Year of Submission
1996
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services
First Advisor
Sue A. Joslyn
Second Advisor
Dennis C. Cryer
Third Advisor
Tom M. Davis
Date Original
1996
Object Description
1 PDF file (56 leaves)
Copyright
©1996 Lynda L. Graham
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Graham, Lynda L., "Exercise and Immune Function in Athletes Over Age 50" (1996). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1778.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1778
Comments
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