An intervention trial with regular physical activity was carried out to test the hypothesis that walking speed is related to the level of cardiovascular fitness (maximal oxygen uptake). Earlier research has demonstrated that when VO2 max is held constant in a multiple regression analysis the association between walking speed and age (29–65 y) is eliminated. To describe the association between self-selected speeds of walking, and level of cardiovascular fitness, 63 men age 60 to 65 were studied before and after a 1 year program of exercise training. VO2 max was determined on a motor driven treadmill. A test of self-selected walking pace was administered over a 240 m indoor course. The men were asked to walk at 3 paces considered by the subjects to be rather slow, normal, and fast, respectively. They were randomly assigned with stratification for white and blue collar occupation to a program of exercise training (n = 33) or control (n = 27). The training program consisted of walking or jogging for 30 min three times per week for one year. After the training program the exercise group increased their VO2 max (9.5%) and their normal walking speed (1.29 to 1.43 m.s−1) significantly compared to the controls. A program of exercise endurance training will result in an increase in the speed of self-selected pace.

Older and younger aerobically trained and sedentary adults participated in an S1-S2-S3 paradigm designed to elicit event-related potential (ERP) and behavioral responses to determine the influence of cardiovascular fitness on cognitive and motor processes. The paradigm provided warning (S1) as to the difficulty level of an upcoming decision task (S2). Participants had to decide the taller of two bars on presentation of S2 but hold their response until S3, to which they indicated their choice motorically. Results revealed age-related differences for ERP measures as older participants showed increased amplitude of the stimulus preceding negativity (SPN) prior to S2, and longer latencies and equipotentiality of P3 in response to S2. Fitness effects were also observed for the contingent negative variation (CNV) with decreased amplitude for fit relative to sedentary individuals. Age interacted with fitness for P3 latency to S2 as older sedentary individuals showed the longest latency followed by older fit and both younger groups. No significant group differences were observed for reaction time (RT) to S3. Therefore, physical fitness is associated with attenuation of cognitive decline in older individuals and greater economy of motor preparation for both young and older participants.