Abstract

The anaerobic threshold (AT) was determined in 19 female and 41 male physical education students (mean age 19 yrs) during incremental arm and leg exercise on a bicycle ergometer. The work was peformed until exhaustion. The AT values determined from the nonlinear increase in pulmonary ventilation (VE) were 62.6 +/- 7.3 W and 109.3 +/- 17.4 W during arm exercise, 136.6 +/- 22.8 W and 224.6 +/- 41.96 W during leg exercise in female and male subjects, respectively. The VE at AT for both types of exercise was more significant in the female than in the male group. It was lower during arm than during leg exercise in both groups. The AT during leg exercise showed a high positive correlation with vital capacity (VC) (r = 0.52), maximal oxygen uptake (r = 0.38), PWC 170 (r = 0.44), and heart rate at AT (r = 0.62) in the male group, and only with heart rate at AT (r = 0.52) in the female group. Similar correlations were obtained during arm exercise. It is suggested that the AT could be determined by monitoring the VE changes during progressive exercise and could serve as an index of cardiorespiratory performance capacity in young female and male subjects. Verf.-Referat