Physical characteristics and exercise performance of pedicab and upper socioeconomic classes of middle-aged Chinese men

1. 1. A comparative study of physical characteristics and exercise performance of Chinese men of 40 to 59 years of age included 100 pedicabmen and 1,346 men from the upper socioeconomic class in Taipei, Taiwan. The daily arduous physical exertion and restricted diet imposed by meager earnings of the pedicabmen provided a group which approached the ultimate in minimizing risk factors for coronary heart disease. 2. 2. The pedicabmen were of comparable age and height, yet significantly lower mean body weight, skinfolds, circumferences of arm and waist, and serum concentrations of cholesterol and uric acid were characteristic of greater physical conditioning and prolonged dietary restrictions. Heart size was slightly larger, while greater exercise capacity, delayed acceleration of exertional heart rate, and more rapid postexertional deceleration of heart rate documented physical conditioning of the cardiovascular system. 3. 3. Whereas the usual trend for progressive increments in age-specific prevalence of S-T segment depression after maximal exertion was clearly demonstrated in men from the upper socioeconomic classes, the slight increase in a small number of older pedicabmen was not statistically significant. The protective role of dietary restrictions and/or enhanced physical activity imposed by a low socioeconomic status might be inferred from these observations.