Nutritional status and physical working capacity

In a population of schoolchildren aged 12-15 years in which biochemical deficiencies of vitamin C, riboflavin and pyridoxine affected 30.0, 33.9 and 17.2 per cent of subjects respectively, a small but statistically significant correlation was found between VO2max and vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin A, and parameters of iron nutrition status. The administration of tablets containing 70.0 mg ascorbic acid, 2.0 mg riboflavin and 2.0 mg pyridoxine resulted in a statistically significant reduction in prevalence of vitamin deficiency, and in a small but statistically significant increase in VO2max. No such changes were observed in the untreated control groups. When data from both the experimental and control groups were pooled and analysed together, the results showed that the increase in VO2max was associated with an increase in plasma vitamin C level, in erythrocyte riboflavin content and in blood haemoglobin level. On the basis of presented data, it is not possible to conclude whether the increase in VO2max was the result of correction of vitamin deficiency per se or was due to its effect on resorption and utilization of dietary iron.