Peak oxygen uptake and physical activity in 13- to 18-year-olds: the Young-HUNT study

The present study describes the distribution of cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) in a large sample of healthy adolescents and the associations between VO2peak, self-reported physical activity, and a selection of conventional markers for future cardiovascular health.

In a substudy of the Young-HUNT study in Norway, 570 adolescents (289 girls and 281 boys) 13–18 yr. old were tested for directly measured VO2peak. Blood pressure, resting heart rate, height, weight, and waist circumference was measured by standardized procedures. Data about physical activity and pubertal development were obtained using self-administered questionnaires. General linear modeling and ANOVA were used to examine the relationships between VO2peak and age, physical activity, and cardiovascular risk factors.

The mean T SD VO2peak was 183.9 +/- 24.6 mL x kg(-0.67) x min(-1) (49.2 mL x kg(-0.67) x min(-1)) in girls and 235.1 +/- 35.3 mL x kg(-0.67) x min(-1) (59.5 mL x kg(-0.67) x min(-1)) in boys. Absolute VO2peak (L x min(-1)) was consistently higher in older age groups in both sexes (P trend < 0.001). VO2peak allometrically scaled to body mass (mL x kg(-0.67) x min(-1)) was similar across the age groups in girls (i.e., difference between 13- to 14-yr-olds and 17- to 18-yr-olds = -3.2 mL x kg(-0.67) x min(-1), 95% confidence interval = 3.8 to -10.1) and slightly higher in the older age groups in boys (i.e., difference between 13- to 14-yr-olds and 15- to 16-yr-olds = -31.0 mL x kg(-0.67) x min(-1), 95% confidence interval = -22.0 to -40.1). Physical activity was positively associated with VO2peak in all sex and age groups. Quartiles of VO2peak were inversely associated with resting heart rate (P trend = 0.004) in both sexes and body mass index (P trend = 0.004) and waist circumference (P trend = 0.006) in boys.

Although VO2peak was generally high across the age groups, VO2peak was higher in physically active adolescents of both sexes and physical activity in accordance with the recommended level may be sufficient to maintain or even increase VO2peak through adolescence.