The influence of body weight on the pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics in pre-pubertal children during moderate- and heavy intensity treadmill exercise

Abstract

To assess the influence of obesity on the oxygen uptake VO2 kinetics of pre-pubertal children during moderate- and heavy intensity treadmill exercise. We hypothesised that obese (OB) children would demonstrate significantly slower VO2 kinetics than their normal weight (NW) counterparts during moderate- and heavy intensity exercise. 18 OB (9.8 ± 0.5 years; 24.1 ± 2.0 kg m(2)) and 19 NW (9.7 ± 0.5 years; 17.6 ± 1.0 kg m(2)) children completed a graded-exercise test to volitional exhaustion and two submaximal constant work rate treadmill tests at moderate (90 % gas exchange threshold) and heavy (∆ 40 %) exercise intensities. Bodyweight significantly influenced the VO2 kinetics during both moderate- and heavy exercise intensities (P < 0.05). During moderate intensity exercise, the phase II τ (OB: 30 ± 13 cf. NW: 22 ± 7 s), mean response time (MRT; OB: 35 ± 16 cf. NW: 25 ± 10 s), phase II gain (OB: 156 ± 21 cf. NW: 111 ± 18 mL O2 kg(-1) km(-1)) and oxygen deficit (OB: 0.36 ± 0.11 cf. NW: 0.20 ± 0.06 L) were significantly higher in the OB children (all P < 0.05). During heavy intensity exercise, the τ (OB: 33 ± 9 cf. NW: 27 ± 6 s; P < 0.05) and phase II gain (OB: 212 ± 61 cf. NW: 163 ± 23 mL O2 kg(-1) km(-1); P < 0.05) were similarly higher in the OB children. A slow component was observed in all participants during heavy intensity exercise, but was not influenced by weight status. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that weight status significantly influences the dynamic VO2 response at the onset of treadmill exercise in children and highlights that the deleterious effects of being obese are already manifest pre-puberty.