ANAEROBIC PERFORMANCE IN GIRLS AND BOYS, AGED 7 TO 10 YEARS

Abstract

1728 Much remains to be understood regarding the responses of children to high intensity physical activity. Of special interest is the difference in those responses, if any, between boys and girls. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to describe and compare anaerobic performance in 7 girls and 7 boys, aged 8.5 ± 0.90 years. Each subject underwent anaerobic testing via the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT), aerobic capacity assessment via the McMaster bicycle protocol using open-circuit spirometry, and determination of body density by hydrostatic weighing and lean limb volumes using the method of Jones and Pearson. There was no significant difference (p=.06) between the boys (1.27±.13 L/min; 47.0 ml/kg/min) and girls (1.52±.29 L/min; 37.2 ml/kg/min) in peak aerobic capacity. The mean peak anaerobic power (PAnP) of girls (351±142.9 WATTS) was not significantly (p=.07) greater than in boys (223.8±66.8 WATTS). The ratio of PAnP to peak aerobic power(PAP) was higher (p<.05) in girls (2.9±0.8) than in boys(1.9±0.6). Mean total lean leg volume (LLV) of the girls (10.59± 4.67 liters) was higher (p<.05) than in the boys (5.76±1.0 liters). When PAnP was expressed relative to LLV there was no difference between boys and girls (38.9±8.7 WATTS/L and 33.8±4.78 WATTS/L, respectively). The same was found when PAnP was considered relative to weight as WATTS/kg (8.1±1.9 for boys and 7.8±0.8 for girls). It was concluded that boys and girls have similar capacity for high intensity work with any difference explained by body size.