A study on the prediction of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) among male and female medical college student population using bicycle ergometer

Abstract

The maximal rate of oxygen uptake (VO2 max) is an important determinant of cardio-respiratory fitness and aerobic performance. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is an important, independent predictor of cardiovascular health and mortality. The present study was conducted in the Dept. of Physiology, GSL Medical College, East Godavari Dist., Andhra Pradesh, India. The study was conducted to establish prediction norms for VO2 max from physical parameters among sedentary young healthy student subjects (n = 72) consisting of male (n = 36) and female (n = 36) students of Medical College belonging to age group 18 – 24 years. The study was aimed to compare and correlate the measured parameters with the predicted parameters of V·O2max using a sub maximal cycle ergometry test. The parameters studied were age, gender, height, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), mean arterial pressure (MAP). The predicted VO2 max was calculated in male (n = 36) and female (n = 36) subjects during multistage sub maximal exercise test with bicycle Ergometer using the modified Astrand-Rhyming Nomogram. The present study results showed that mean heart beat rate, SBP and DBP variables can be identified as the good indicators on prediction of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) using bicycle ergometer among males and female subjects though male individuals showed higher VO2 max values of mean body weight, height compared to female subjects however, was statistically not significant. Future research should focus on the variables involved in the prediction equations by stratification of subjects to obtain a large range of values for the variable (s) investigated. It was not possible to do this with the subjects such as age, weight and height participating in this project because the variables used were not easily stratified.