Factors relating to the aerobic capacity of 46 healthy British males and females, ages 18 to 28 years

Abstract

1. Anthropometric and physiological data relevant to the capacity for exercise have been obtained in 46 healthy young adults, including 23 male and 20 female factory workers and three male athletes. 2. The measurements included maximal oxygen uptake on a cycle ergometer, cardiac frequency during submaximal exercise, total body potassium, the breadth of the limb muscles (at three sites), skinfold thickness at four sites, somatotype, forced vital capacity, transfer factor for the lung, total body haemoglobin, grip strength of the hand, vertical force during a standing jump and customary activity by questionnaire. 3. Linear regression relationships were obtained for: body potassium on thigh muscle, body weight and skinfold thickness (residual S.D. 6.4 g), maximal oxygen uptake on cardiac frequency and either body potassium or thigh muscle and forced vital capacity (residual S.D. 0.19 1 min -1 ), oxygen uptake during cycling on rate of work and body weight (residual S.D. 0.09 1 min -1 ) and maximal cardiac frequency on maximal oxygen uptake (residual S.D. 7.2 min -1 ). The coefficient and constant terms for men and women, with the exception of the coefficient terms for the description of body potassium, do not differ to a material extent. 4. The use of these and other relationships provides a means for analysing the contributions to human exercise performance of body size, ethnic group and the effects of the environment.