PubMed · 1990 · 452 citations · 0 references
Physical ActivityFitnessEducationExtensive Literature ReviewAnthropometric IndicatorKinesiologyBody CompositionExercisePhysical ExerciseApplied PhysiologyHealth-related FitnessFitness MeasureHealth SciencesPhysical FitnessMean NormsBiobehavioral HealthCohort StudyRelative Vo2maxSex DifferenceExercise ScienceExercise PhysiologyPediatricsAerobic Fitness Norms
The authors conducted a comprehensive review of studies measuring VO₂max directly in healthy, untrained subjects from the USA, Canada, and seven European countries to establish absolute (L/min) and relative (ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) VO₂max norms for males and females aged 6–75 years. The resulting norms show that male VO₂max peaks at 3.4 L/min in adolescence and declines to 1.6 L/min by age 75, while female VO₂max peaks at 2.2 L/min and declines to 1.1 L/min, with relative VO₂max differences between sexes being smaller; these norms are slightly lower than historical data and 25 % lower for middle‑aged and older women compared to Astrand’s standards.
An extensive literature review was performed of studies where VO2max was measured directly in healthy, untrained subjects in the USA, Canada and 7 European countries to establish absolute (L/min) and relative (ml.kg-1.min-1) VO2max norms in males and females aged 6-75 years. Mean norms (L/min) in males show an increase from 1.0 L/min at age 6 years, to 2.0 and 3.4 L/min at ages 12 and 18 years, respectively, after which they decline with age to 3.2, 2.7, and 1.6 L/min for ages 30, 50, and 75 years, respectively. The corresponding values for females aged 6, 12, 18, 30, 50, and 75 years are 0.9, 1.8, 2.2, 1.8, and 1.1 L/min, respectively. Sex differences in relative VO2max are smaller than the above. Mean values for males for the above age groups are 47.5, 50, 48, 35, and 25 ml.kg-1.min-1, respectively, with corresponding values for females of 42.5, 44, 41, 28, and 17.5 ml.kg-1.min-1, respectively. These norms (L/min) are slightly lower than Robinson's 1938 data on males; they are only 1.5% lower compared with Astrand's adult males norms; but 2.5 to 10% lower than Astrand's norms for adult females. Present norms (ml.kg-1.min-1) for middle aged and older women are 25% lower than the corresponding Astrand's norms.