26/08/2026
分享吳冠東醫師撰寫的好文章，平均餘命跟心肺功能有很大關係
🏃♂️ 你可以跑幾耐、行幾快，可能比你想像中更能反映長遠健康
講到「抗衰老」和「長壽」，近年有很多熱門話題：
補充劑、抗衰老療法、粒線體、端粒、各種 longevity hacks……
但其實有一樣非常「傳統」、不用很複雜，而且有相當多人體研究支持的健康指標：
❤️ 心肺適能（Cardiorespiratory Fitness）
其中一個常用指標，就是大家可能聽過的 VO₂max（最大攝氧量）。
簡單來說，它反映你的心臟、肺部、血液循環及肌肉，在運動時運送和利用氧氣的能力。
⸻
📊 一項研究追蹤了整整 46 年
2018 年刊登於 Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) 的研究，追蹤：
👨 5,107 名男性
🎂 平均年齡約 49 歲
❤️ 研究開始時沒有心血管疾病
⏱️ 最長追蹤 46 年
結果發現：
中年時心肺適能愈好，往後的死亡風險愈低，平均壽命亦愈長。
與心肺適能最低的 5% 相比：
➡️ Low-normal fitness：約 +2.1 年平均壽命
➡️ High-normal fitness：約 +2.9 年
➡️ 最高 5% fitness：約 +4.9 年
研究亦發現：
📈 VO₂max 每高 1 mL/kg/min，統計上與約 45 天較長壽命相關。
⸻
💡 最重要的訊息其實不是「要做到運動員水平」
反而是：
由「很差」進步到「普通」，已經可能有很大的健康意義。
所以，如果你現在很少運動，千萬不要因為自己跑不到 10 km、做不到 HIIT，便覺得運動沒有用。
🚶🏻♀️ 快步行
🚴🏻 踏單車
🏊🏻 游泳
🏃🏻 慢跑
🪜 行樓梯
都可以逐步改善心肺適能。
⸻
❤️ Cardio + 💪 肌力訓練
如果目標是健康老化，我們不應只追求「瘦」。
更值得保留的是：
❤️ 心肺功能
💪 肌肉力量
⚖️ 代謝健康
🥗 均衡飲食
😴 充足睡眠
這些看似很傳統，但往往才是健康老化最重要的基礎。
⸻
那麼 HIIT 呢？
高強度間歇訓練（HIIT），包括著名的 Norwegian 4×4 protocol，確實可以有效改善 VO₂max。
但不是每個人一開始都適合做高強度運動。
對很多平日缺乏運動的人來說：
先建立規律運動習慣，再逐漸增加強度，可能比一開始追求 HIIT 更重要。
尤其有心血管疾病、胸痛、暈厥、嚴重氣促或其他健康問題的人，在進行高強度訓練前應先尋求專業意見。
⸻
⚠️ 最後一點很重要：
這是一項觀察性研究。
所以我們可以說：
✅ 「較高心肺適能與較低死亡風險及較長壽命有關」
但不能簡單理解成：
❌「把 VO₂max 增加某個數字，就一定可以增加幾年壽命。」
而且研究對象主要是中年男性，因此亦不能直接將數字套用到每一個人身上。
不過，整體訊息非常值得我們記住：
與其不停尋找下一個「長壽秘方」，不如先把自己的身體練好。
Move more. Get fitter. Stay stronger.
📖 Clausen JSR, et al. Midlife Cardiorespiratory Fitness and the Long-Term Risk of Mortality: 46 Years of Follow-Up. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72:987–995.
🏃♂️ How fit you are in midlife may tell us something important about your health decades later.
There is no shortage of discussion about “longevity” today:
Supplements. Peptides. Mitochondria. Telomeres. Biohacking…
But one of the most important markers of healthy ageing is much less exotic:
❤️ Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).
One way of measuring it is VO₂max — essentially, how effectively your cardiovascular and respiratory systems can deliver oxygen to your body during exercise.
⸻
📊 What happens when we follow people for 46 years?
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) followed:
👨 5,107 men
🎂 Average age approximately 49 years
❤️ Free from cardiovascular disease at baseline
⏱️ Followed for up to 46 years
The researchers found a clear association:
Better cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife was associated with lower long-term mortality and greater longevity.
Compared with men in the lowest 5% of fitness:
➡️ Low-normal fitness → ~2.1 years longer mean life expectancy
➡️ High-normal fitness → ~2.9 years longer
➡️ Highest 5% → ~4.9 years longer
Even more interestingly:
📈 Each 1 mL/kg/min higher VO₂max was associated with approximately 45 additional days of longevity.
⸻
💡 You don’t need to become an elite athlete.
This may be the most useful message for the general public.
Moving from very low fitness to a more normal level may already be meaningful.
You don’t need to run marathons.
🚶🏻 Brisk walking
🚴🏻 Cycling
🏊🏻 Swimming
🏃🏻 Jogging
🪜 Taking the stairs
can all contribute towards improving cardiorespiratory fitness.
⸻
❤️ Cardio + 💪 Strength
For healthy ageing, the goal should not simply be to become “thin”.
Think instead about preserving:
❤️ Cardiorespiratory fitness
💪 Muscle strength
⚖️ Metabolic health
🥗 Good nutrition
😴 Adequate sleep
They may not sound like exciting “longevity hacks”, but they remain fundamental to healthy ageing.
⸻
What about HIIT?
High-intensity interval training (HIIT), including protocols such as the Norwegian 4×4, can be an effective way of improving VO₂max.
But HIIT is not necessary for everyone, particularly when someone is just starting to exercise.
For many sedentary people, establishing regular physical activity and gradually increasing exercise intensity is a much better starting point.
People with cardiovascular disease, chest pain, unexplained fainting, significant breathlessness or other medical concerns should seek appropriate professional advice before beginning vigorous exercise.
⸻
⚠️ One important scientific caveat:
This was an observational study.
Therefore, the appropriate interpretation is:
✅ Higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with lower mortality and longer life expectancy.
It does NOT prove:
❌ Increasing your VO₂max by a particular amount will automatically add a specific number of years to your life.
The study also involved middle-aged men, so the exact numbers should not simply be applied to everyone.
Nevertheless, the broader message is powerful:
Before searching for the next longevity “hack”, don’t overlook the fundamentals: move more, get fitter and stay stronger.
📖 Clausen JSR, et al. Midlife Cardiorespiratory Fitness and the Long-Term Risk of Mortality: 46 Years of Follow-Up. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72:987–995.
#心肺功能 #最大攝氧量 #運動 #健康老化 #長壽 #心血管健康 #預防醫學 #健康教育 #運動醫學
