Maximal aerobic capacity across age in healthy Hispanic and Caucasian women.
Schiller, Brian C., Yoli G. Casas, Christopher A. Desouza, and Douglas R. Seals.
Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder
80309; and Divisions of Cardiology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine,
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado 80262
APStracts 8:0273A, 2001.
We tested the hypothesis that the age-related decline in maximal aerobic capacity, as
measured by maximal oxygen uptake («vo2max»), is greater in Hispanic than in
Caucasian women. We studied 146 healthy sedentary women aged 20-75 yr: 53 Hispanic
(primarily of Mexican descent) and 93 Caucasian (non-Hispanic white). The groups did
not differ in mean age, body mass, percent body fat, estimated physical activity-related
energy expenditure, or education-based socioeconomic status (SES). During maximal
exercise, respiratory exchange ratio, rating of perceived exertion, and percent predicted
maximal heart rate were similar across age and ethnicity, suggesting equivalent
maximum voluntary efforts in all subjects. «vo2max»
(ml«chemp»kg«minus»1«chemp»min«minus»1) was inversely related to age (P < 0.01)
in Caucasian (r =«minus»0.68) and Hispanic (r = «minus»0.61) women. The absolute rate
of decline in «vo2max» with age was the same in the two groups («minus»0.31
ml«chemp»kg«minus»1«chemp»min«minus»1«chemp»yr«minus»1). The relative rate of
decline (% from age 25 yr) also was similar in the Caucasian («minus»9.0%) and
Hispanic («minus»9.2%) women. When subjects of all ages were pooled, mean levels of
«vo2max» were similar in the two groups (~28
ml«chemp»kg«minus»1«chemp»min«minus»1). These results, the first to our knowledge
in Hispanics, indicate that mean levels of «vo2max», as well as the rate of decline in
«vo2max» with age, are similar in healthy sedentary Hispanic and Caucasian women of
similar SES. Thus it does not appear that Hispanic ethnicity per se modulates maximal
aerobic capacity in this population.
Received 27 December 1999; accepted in final form 23 April 2001
APS Manuscript Number A1075-9.
Article publication pending J Appl Physiol
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 2001 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 18 June 2001