AEROBIC CAPACITY IN BLACK-ADOLESCENT GIRLS

Our purpose was to determine the aerobic capacities (VO2max) of a grou p of black female adolescents (age = 11.4-15.8 years) randomly chosen from a single urban school. Of 91 girls selected, 64 performed an incr emental treadmill running test to volitional exhaustion and achieved V O2 max as determined from expired gas measures. Other measures include d height (m), weight (kg), and calf and triceps skinfolds (for % fat e stimates). Girls were also asked whether they had achieved menarche. V O2max averaged 37.3 +/- 62 ml.kg-1.min-1 and was significantly correla ted (r[62]) with height (-.32, p < .01), body mass index (-.63, p < .0 01), and % fat (-.65, p < .001) but not with age (-.16, p > .10). Post menarchal girls were significantly taller and older than premenarchal girls. Contrary to previous studies, the girls' VO2max values were not related to biological age. Our subjects' aerobic capacity values aver aged 14 % less than those of nonblack U.S. female adolescents previous ly reported in the literature. This difference in VO2max was primarily a function of body weight. Study implications support the possibility that overweight in adult black women may originate prior to or during early adolescence. Future longitudinal studies should be designed to investigate the effects of aerobic fitness on cardiovascular risk fact or reduction in black adolescent girls.