EN
Introduction: The aging process, characterized by physiological changes which compromise various organs and systems, is not the only factor leading to a decline in physical efficiency - biologically unjustified reductions in physical activities are also observed in the elderly. Various psychological, sociological and other factors may determine elderly individuals’ susceptibility to limitations in their everyday physical activities. Diagnostics of the circulation system in terms of physical efficiency and tolerance of effort are therefore more difficult in the elderly than for young individuals.Objectives: To assess the orthostatic reaction of the circulation system in elderly individuals by means of the Crampton test and to obseive changes in the coefficient values after 4 months of intensive physical activity.Material and method: Forty-four students of the University of the Third Age in Warsaw participated in the study. Their average age was 64.2 years, weight 66.5 kg and height 158.5 cm. Their heart rate and blood pressure were re-corded after 10 minutes in recumbent position and 2 minutes after taking standing positions.Results: High values in the Crampton test indicate good and very good orthostatic efficiency of the circulation system. However, these results were not found to correlate with effort ability. We conclude that the Crampton test is of low diagnostic value in the tolerance of effort prediction in the elderly.