SPH Study Reveals Regular Exercise Reduces Men's Death Rate 28 Percent

Regular exercise that burns up 2000 calories per week appears to reduce significantly people's risk of death, according to a Harvard School of Public Health study released yesterday.

The research, based on a 16-year follow-up of Harvard men, found that those who exercised off 2000 calories weekly had a 28 percent lower death rate than did less active men.

"There is widespread and longstanding popular belief that adequate physical exercise is necessary to preserve life and its desirable qualities into old age," the researchers wrote. "The present study adds new evidence to support this view."

The research was conducted on 16,936 Harvard graduates between the ages of 35 and 74. The study was directed by Dr. Ralph S. Paffenbarger Jr. of Stanford University School of Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health. It was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Calorie Calculus

In their calculations, the researchers figured that walking seven city blocks uses up 56 calories, climbing 70 stairs uses 28 calories, light exercise uses five calories per minute and vigorous exercise uses 10 calories per minute.

Among other findings:

.Death rates fell steadily as energy expended on exercise increased from less than 500 calories a week to 3500 calories weekly.

.Exercise seemed to make people live longer, even when such factors as smoking, high blood pressure and obesity were taken into account.

.Men whose parents both died before age 65 had a 29 percent higher risk of death than alumni whose parents lived past 65.

.Those who exercised were less likely to die from all causes, but the largest declines were in the risk of death from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.