According to a recent study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, middle-aged adults who maintain a healthy diet can experience the same physical benefits as taking an additional 4,000 steps per day.

The researchers said, cardiorespiratory fitness is an indicator of the body’s capacity to supply and utilize oxygen during physical activity. This measure also encompasses the overall health of various organ systems including the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and muscles.

The researchers emphasized that cardiorespiratory fitness is strongly linked to both longevity and good health. Furthermore, they observed that even among individuals who exercise equally, variations in fitness levels exist, implying that other factors like diet play a role.

The correlation between physical fitness in adults living in the community and a nutritious Mediterranean diet was examined in a research study. The Framingham Heart Study was used to investigate 2,380 individuals, with an average age of 54 and 54 female participants.

Peak VO2, which measures the maximum rate of oxygen utilized during exercise, was assessed by having participants perform a maximum effort cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer.

In addition, they filled out the Harvard semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire that assessed their consumption of 126 different food items over the course of the past year. The questionnaire measured frequency of intake on a scale ranging from never or less than once per month to 6 servings per day.

After taking into account other factors such as age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, diabetes and routine physical activity level, researchers analyzed the connection between diet and fitness.

The study concluded that the data on metabolites indicates that following a healthy diet is linked to improved metabolic health. This could be a contributing factor to enhanced fitness and increased ability to exercise.