Evaluation of the Effect of Body Mass Index and Body Fat Percentage on the Maximal Oxygen Consumption: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: In order to assess the cardiorespiratory condition of people and as a result to create a physiological symmetry between work and worker, physical work capacity is of high importance and can play a special role in choosing qualified workforce. Objectives: The current study aims to evaluate work capacity and examine the effect of body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) on aerobic capacity. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 male university students voluntarily participated. Work capacity was measured with the use of a treadmill and the Bruce protocol. BMI and BFP, as the variables of the research, were measured using the device while the subjects were undergoing the test. The relationship between the variables was investigated using the Pearson correlation test. Results: The mean and standard deviation of age for the people under the study was obtained as 21.36 ± 2.08 years. The mean and standard deviation of the aerobic capacity was estimated at 44.01 ± 4.75 (mL/kg/min). The results showed that there was a significant inverse relationship between BMI, BFP, and Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). The level of significant was set as 0.05 (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: The findings indicated that BMI and BFP, as the variables, were effective factors in the people's aerobic capacity. These indices can be used as a criterion for determining the aerobic capacity of people.