Circulo-respiratory fitness in United States Air Force Academy cadets

A sample of 79 United States Air Force Academy cadets was used to determine mean maximal oxygen consumption and percent body fat values for the cadet wing. The individuals selected represented all four classes and included no intercollegiate athletes. Maximal oxygen consumption testing was completed on a bicycle ergometer and percent body fat measurements were accomplished by the Wright-Wilmore method. The average max VO2 for these cadets was 47.91 (S.D.=4.58). This value compares very favorably with established norms by this age group. The mean percent body fat of 12.07 also depicts a highly fit population. The effect of altitude and the conversion for use with treadmill values is discussed. The USAFA cadet appears to have an excellent level of circulo-respiratory fitness, especially when compared with other military samples within the same age span.