title: Cardiovascular fitness and haemodynamic responses to maximal cycle ergometer exercise test in children 6-8 years of age.
abstract: We investigated cardiovascular fitness and haemodynamic responses to maximal cycle ergometer exercise test in children. The participants were a population sample of 425 children (204 girls, 221 boys) aged 6-8 years. Heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured from the beginning of pre-exercise rest to the end of recovery period. We provided reference values for peak workload and changes in HR and SBP during and after maximal exercise test in girls and boys. Girls had a lower cardiovascular fitness, indicated by peak workload per body weight [mean (2 s) 2.7 (0.9) vs. 3.1 (1.0) W · kg(-1), P < 0.001] and lean mass [mean (2 s) 3.5 (0.9) vs. 3.8 (1.0) W · kg(-1), P < 0.001] than boys. Plateau or decline in SBP close to the end of the test was found in about third of children and was considered a normal SBP response. Girls had a slower HR decrease within 2 min after the test than boys [mean (2 s) 53 (18) vs. 59 (22) beats · min(-1), P < 0.001]. The results are useful for physicians and exercise physiologists to evaluate cardiovascular fitness and haemodynamic responses to exercise in children and to detect children with low exercise tolerance or abnormal haemodynamic responses to exercise.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Biomedicine/Physiology , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.
authors.forename: Niina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lintu
authors.forename: Tuomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tompuri
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viitasalo
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soininen
authors.forename: Tomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Savonen
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lindi
authors.forename: Timo A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lakka
mesh_terms: D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D016552:Ergometry; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values