Expert: Ken Alan - 9/1/2007

Question
QUESTION: A 25yo  medical student told me he was a college athlete and played basketball for 4hrs daily---until the 90hr workweek of medicine. What lingering effect of fitness will this man experience as his ability to workout diminishes? Will his vasculature at, say 50yo, be more healthy than the average man who has never been very fit?

ANSWER: I need further information please.  Could you clarify if this person is still playing basketball or has he stopped?  If he stopped, how long ago?  Is he doing any exercise now?

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QUESTION: follow up:
No, due to the crushing load of his medical career he has been unable to be physically active
ANSWER: I still need additional information to respond to your question.  How long ago did he stop playing?  How long did he play for?  Was he always active or in sports?  What do you mean by "vasculature"?  Do you mean musculature? Vascularity?  Fitness level?

Are you asking if he does no more exercise ever, will he still have some fitness benefits compared to someone who has never been into fitness?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Are you asking if he does no more exercise ever, will he still have some fitness benefits compared to someone who has never been into fitness?

yes that is my real question. Sorry for my ineloquence.


Answer
You have a few side benefits from exercise you did at some point in your life, while you lose many other benefits.  In general, exercise benefits are transient.  If you stop, you lose most of them.  What is still beneficial is the caloric expenditure from your activity in terms of weight gain and weight control.  If the individual was not active at all, he will have probably gained more fat or weight than he will be.  In other words, you got a head start on weight control.  The other benefit is that if you decide to become active again, say at 60, you'll gain fitness benefits faster than someone who has been entirely inactive.

Hope this answers your theoretical question.