title: Predicted maximal aerobic power in youth is related to age, gender, and ethnicity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of age, gender, and ethnicity on the predicted aerobic power of youth as they age from 8 to 16 yr.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was a multicohort group of 2540 African Americans (N = 543) and Caucasians (N = 1997), 1279 (50.4%) girls and 1261 (49.6%) boys. Heights, weights, and sum of skin folds (triceps + subscapular) were measured. Aerobic power ((p)VO(2max)), expressed in relative (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) or absolute (L x min(-1)) terms, was predicted from a three-stage cycle ergometry test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Quadratic mixed-model analysis indicated that boys had higher relative and absolute (p)VO(2max) than the girls (P = 0.0004). The African American subjects had a higher absolute (p)VO(2max) (L x min(-1)) than the Caucasians, but their relative (p)VO(2max) was lower than the Caucasians (P = 0.031). Finally, age had a significant effect on (p)VO(2max) (P = 0.0001). The absolute (p)VO(2max) of the girls increased 9%.yr(-1) until age 14; but their relative (p)VO(2max) declined approximately 1.2 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) x yr(-1). The absolute (p)VO(2max) for the boys increased yearly by approximately 14% from ages 8 to 16 yr, but the relative (p)VO(2max) of the African American males was stable from ages 8 to 11, then dropped, and stabilized again between ages 12 and 16 yr. The relative (p)VO(2max) of the Caucasian boys declined from ages 8 to 10, but then increased slightly from age 12 to 16 yr. In addition, the interactions of age and gender, and age squared and gender were significant (P < 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that although absolute (p)VO(2max) (L x min(-1)) increases from age 8 to 16 yr, relative (p)VO(2max) (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) declines. The decline appears to be related to increased fat mass. Similarly, the higher relative (p)VO(2max) (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) of the Caucasian youth compared with the African American youth was related to lower weights and skin folds of the Caucasian youth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise and Sport Science, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8700, USA. exphys@email.unc.edu
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: McMurray
authors.forename: Joanne S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Harrell
authors.forename: Chyrise B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Shibing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Shrikant I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Bangdiwala
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000886:Anthropometry; D044383:Black People; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American