Nutritional evaluation in the male and female participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) has been carried out by periodic collection of 7-day dietary diaries and by measurement of vitamin levels in plasma. The diary technique has provided data over a 35 year period in men and a 15 year period in women. The ages of the participants range from 20 to 95 years. Since the BLSA is a multi-disciplinary study, it is possible to carry out correlations between nutritional intakes and levels and other potentially related variables and outcomes. The results of longitudinal changes in diet (aging and secular effects) over three decades (1960s, 1970s, and 1980s) have been reported. We have re-initiated dietary diary collection for the 1990s by establishing collaborations with USDA and HNRCA scientists (see above). There are no data sets elsewhere on nutritional variables in human beings of comparable duration, reliability, number of subjects, and association with important physiologic and outcome variables. Plasma samples collected under the conditions for assay of trace minerals in the BLSA population are currently being analyzed by Dr. Hallfrisch. This will permit tests of the various hypothesized roles of trace minerals in aging and disease. A study of two groups of older men who differ markedly in their activity patterns but who are otherwise carefully matched for body mass index, for age, and for health status has been published. The study is unique in having conducted detailed dietary evaluation in these free-living 58 to 75 year old men. Sixteen endurance-trained senior athletes were matched with 24 inactive but healthy participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The aerobic capacity of the older athletes was 50% higher on average than that of the sedentary group. Despite comparable body weights, the sedentary group had 20% higher body fat. The fat distribution pattern was also significantly more favorable in the athletes (waist to hip ratio of 0.87 vs 0.92). Although the weight for height ratios were comparable, the athletes had a significantly different dietary pattern in that the caloric intake was higher and the distribution of calories showed a higher intake of protein and carbohydrate and a lower intake of fat.
