SNOW BLOWING AND SHOVELING IN NORMAL AND ASYMPTOMATIC CORONARY-ARTERYDISEASED MEN

We evaluated the oxygen uptake and heart-rate responses to self-paced snow blowing and snow shoveling in 10 men with asymptomatic coronary a rtery disease, 10 older normal men, and six younger normal men. Mean p eak treadmill oxygen uptake in the three groups ranged from 26.4 +/- 1 .1 to 47.3 +/- 3.9 ml/kg per min (P < 0.05). Oxygen uptake during snow blowing did not differ significantly among subject groups; values wer e 17.1 +/- 1.3, 17.7 +/- 1.1, and 17.2 +/- 0.9 ml/kg per min in the co ronary artery disease, older normal, and younger normal groups, respec tively. Oxygen uptake with snow shoveling was lower (P < 0.05) in thos e with coronary artery disease (18.4 +/- 1.0 ml/kg per min) than in th e normal groups. In comparison with snow shoveling, oxygen uptake and heart rate did not differ (P = NS) from snow blowing in the coronary a rtery disease group but were lower (P < 0.05) with snow blowing in the two normal groups. The results indicate that men with asymptomatic co ronary artery disease and relatively good functional work capacity per form snow blowing and snow shoveling at similar levels of oxygen uptak e and heart rate.