title: Cardiorespiratory fitness, respiratory function and hemodynamic responses to maximal cycle ergometer exercise test in girls and boys aged 9-11 years: the PANIC Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to provide comprehensive data on and reference values for cardiorespiratory fitness, respiratory function and hemodynamic responses during and after maximal cycle ergometer test in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were a population sample of 140 children (69 girls) aged 9-11 years. Heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured from pre-exercise rest to the end of recovery. Respiratory gases were measured directly by the breath-by-breath method. Peak workload, HR changes, peak oxygen uptake (VO2), peak oxygen pulse (O2 pulse), peak respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and the lowest ratio of ventilation and carbon dioxide output (VE/VCO2) during the exercise test in girls and boys were presented according to their distributions in 5 categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HR decreased more during 4-min recovery in boys than in girls (76 vs. 67 beats/min, p < 0.001), whereas SBP decrease was similar in boys and girls (30 vs. 22 mmHg, p = 0.66). Boys had a higher peak VO2 per weight [51.9 vs. 47.6 ml/kg/min, p < 0.001] and per lean mass [67.3 vs. 63.0 ml/kg/min, p < 0.001] than girls. Peak O2 pulse per lean mass was higher in boys than in girls (0.34 vs. 0.31 ml/kg/beat, p < 0.001). There was no difference in the lowest VE/VCO2 during the test between boys and girls (28 vs. 29, p = 0.18).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness were better in boys than in girls. These data enable the evaluation of cardiorespiratory function during and after maximal exercise test and the detection of children with abnormal values.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Physiology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, PO Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland, niina.lintu@uef.fi.
authors.forename: Niina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lintu
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viitasalo
authors.forename: Tuomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tompuri
authors.forename: Aapo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veijalainen
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hakulinen
authors.forename: Tomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Savonen
authors.forename: Timo A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lakka
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012016:Reference Values; D012119:Respiration