It has been suggested that genetic variation in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is associated with physical performance. We studied the association between the ACE insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism and several fitness phenotypes measured before and after 20 wk of a standardized endurance training program in sedentary Caucasian (n = 476) and black (n = 248) subjects. Phenotype...

Traditionally, it has been accepted that, during incremental exercise, stroke volume plateaus at 40% of Vo(2)max. However, recent research has documented that stroke volume progressively increases to Vo(2)max in both trained and untrained subjects. The stroke volume response to incremental exercise to Vo(2)max may be influenced by training status, age, and sex. For endurance trained subjects, t...

Effects of age, sex, race, and initial fitness on training responses of maximal O(2) uptake (VO(2 max)) are unclear. Data were available on 435 whites and 198 blacks (287 men and 346 women), aged 17-65 yr, before and after standardized cycle ergometer training. Individual responses varied widely, but VO(2 max) increased significantly for all groups. Responses by men and women and by blacks and ...

BACKGROUND At the maximal Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET), several ventilatory variables are analyzed, including the ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (VE/VO2). The minimum VE/VO2 value reflects the best integration between the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and may be called "Cardiorespiratory Optimal Point (COP)". OBJECTIVE To determine the behavior of the COP according to g...

This study investigates the role of central vs. peripheral factors in the limitation of maximal oxygen uptake (Vo(2max)) with moderate hypoxia [inspired fraction (Fi(O(2))) =14.5%]. Fifteen endurance-trained athletes performed maximal cycle incremental tests to assess Vo(2max), maximal cardiac output (Q(max)), and maximal arteriovenous oxygen (a-vO(2)) difference in normoxia and hypoxia. Muscle...

In order to assess the relationship between the physical fitness of asthmatics and the clinical expression of the underlying disease, the authors studied 39 physically active children with moderate to severe but stable asthma. The patients (25 boys and 14 girls, aged between 9 and 16 years) were submitted to clinical evaluation; spirometry before and after bronchodilator (BD); maximal cardiopul...

OBJECTIVE to determine the effects of aerobic training on the maximal aerobic power of healthy, very elderly people. DESIGN a 12-week control period followed by 24 weeks of progressive, weight bearing, aerobic training. SUBJECTS 26 men and women aged 79 to 91 years conforming to pre-determined health criteria. METHODS we took measurements before and after a 12 week control period and foll...

Whereas novel pathways of pathological heart enlargement have been unveiled by thoracic aorta constriction in genetically modified mice, the molecular mechanisms of adaptive cardiac hypertrophy remain virtually unexplored and call for an effective and well-characterized model of physiological mechanical loading. Experimental procedures of maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2 max)) and intensity-con...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the reliability and validity of measures taken during the Chester step test (CST) used to predict VO(2)max and prescribe subsequent exercise. METHODS The CST was performed twice on separate days by 7 males and 6 females aged 22.4 (SD 4.6) years. Heart rate (HR), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and oxygen uptake (VO(2)) were measured at each stage of the CST. RESU...

Physiological studies of long-term cardiovascular adaptation to exercise require training regimens that give robust conditioning effects and adequate testing procedures to quantify the outcome. We developed a valid and reproducible protocol for measuring maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2 max)), which was reached at a 25 degrees inclination with a respiratory exchange ratio > 1.05 and blood lactate > ...