Exercise tolerance, body composition and blood lipids in obese African-American women following short-term training.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this investigation was to examine the exercise tolerance, body composition and blood lipids in African-American women, possessing greater than or equal to 30% body fat, following six weeks of endurance training.


METHODS
Oxygen consumption (VO2), central hemodynamics, blood lipids, body weight, body fat, and the body mass index of seven subjects (21.0 +/- 0.8 yrs) were studied. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), exercise duration, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate (bLA) and VO2 were obtained in response to a maximal exercise tolerance test on a motorized treadmill. Subjects trained three times per week for 50 minutes per session (30 minutes at 70% maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max).


RESULTS
Dependent "t"-tests revealed significant (p < 0.05) increases in VO2max, 27%; exercise duration, 31%; as well as peak HR, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and bLA. Values for submaximal HR, SBP, RPE during the post-training test were lower. In addition, body weight, body fat and the body mass index decreased 2.2%, 1.3% and 3.4% respectively. There were no changes in blood lipids.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest short-term training at 70% VO2max provides the necessary stimulus for obese women to improve exercise tolerance and body composition. However, the training stimulus is insufficient to alter lipid profiles.
Szmedra
L
L
Graduate Division of Exercise Science, Bloomsburg University, Pennsylvania 17815, USA.
LeMura
L M
LM
Shearn
W M
WM
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001823:Body Composition; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D001741:Black or African American
D007773:Lactates; D008055:Lipids