Do African-American and Caucasian overweight women differ in oxygen consumption during fixed periods of exercise?
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether there are ethnic differences in oxygen consumption during fixed periods of exercise.


METHODS
Cross-sectional.


METHODS
Twenty-seven African-American and 120 Caucasian overweight adult women (body mass index=32.8+/-4.1 kg/m(2), age=36.7+/-5.6 y) prior to initiating a weight loss program.


METHODS
Measurement of oxygen consumption occurred during four stages of a graded exercise test, with body composition assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between overweight African-American and Caucasian women for absolute oxygen consumption or oxygen consumption adjusted for either body weight or fat-free mass across four levels of a submaximal graded exercise test.


CONCLUSIONS
The results from this study suggest that African-American and Caucasian women do not differ in energy expenditure during fixed workloads of exercise, suggesting that this may not contribute to differences in energy balance and body weight regulation between women in these two ethnic groups.
Jakicic
J M
JM
Brown University School of Medicine, Miriam Hospital, Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA. jjakicic@lifespan.org
Lang
W
W
Wing
R R
RR
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001823:Body Composition; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D015431:Weight Loss; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American