Abstract

To determine upper body peak 02 uptake (VO2) in a group of young females and to obtain information on possible sex differences, 40 subjects, 20 females and 20 males, mean age 26 +/- 4 (SD) and 31 +/- yr, respectively, were studied during maximal arm-cranking exercise. Peak values for power output, V02, minute ventilation (VE), and heart rate (HR) were determined for each subject. In addition, arm-shoulder volume (A-SC) was measured before exercise. Significant differences between males and females were found for peak power output, peak VO2, peak VE and A-SV, whereas peak HR was not significantly different between the two groups. However, when peak V02 was corrected for arm and shoulder size there was no significant difference between the groups. These results suggest that the observed differences between men and women for peak V02 elicited during arm cranking when expressed in traditional terms (l/min and ml/kg/min) are a function of the size of the contracting muscle mass and are not due to sex-related differences in either 02 delivery or the 02 utilization capacity of the muscle itself. Verf.-Referat