Submaximal exercise and maturation in 12-year-olds

Authors: Armstrong N.; Welsman J. R.; Kirby B. J.

Source: Journal of Sports Sciences, Volume 17, Number 2, 1 February 1999 , pp. 107-114(8)

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Abstract:

The aim of this study was to examine the maturation responses of young people to submaximal treadmill exercise. Body mass was controlled using both the conventional ratio standard and allometric modelling. Ninetyseven boys and 97 girls with a mean age of 12.2 years completed a discontinuous, incremental exercise test to voluntary exhaustion. We measured peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and VO2 when running at 8, 9 and 10km.h-1. Sexual maturation was assessed visually using Tanner"s indices of pubic hair. Peak V O2 was significantly higher in boys (P<0.001); this was still the case when the influence of body mass was covaried out. During submaximal exercise, no significant differences in absolute VO2 were observed between the sexes (P>0.05); however, values of VO2, expressed both in ratio with body mass and adjusted for body mass using allometry, were significantly greater in boys than in girls (P<0.001). For absolute V O2, significant main effects (P<0.05) were seen for maturity at each exercise stage. With the influence of body mass controlled using either the ratio standard or allometry, no significant main effects (P>0.05) for maturity were observed. Our results indicate that boys are less economical than girls while running at 8-10 km.h-1 and that, independently of body mass, maturation does not influence the VO2 response to submaximal exercise.

Keywords: ALLOMETRY OXYGEN UPTAKE TANNER STAGING YOUNG PEOPL

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 1999-02-01

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