The correlation between peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and running performance in children and adolescents. Aspects of different units

The method of removing the confounding effect of body mass on peak oxygen u ptake simply by dividing the measured values by body mass has been question ed. The aim of the study was to find an expression of body mass for compens ating for differences in body mass so as to achieve the best correlation to running performance. In a cross-sectional study, design peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) was measured in 107 boys in the age range 8-17 years and 88 girl s in the age range 8-16 years. The present study indicates that VO2peak do not increase in proportion to body mass during running, rather that VO2peak is inversely related to body mass. When using allometric regression standa rds with the sexes separated in gender groups, there was a tendency that bo gs achieved scaling factors closer to unity than did the girls. The increas e in subcutaneous fat in the girls throughout the pubertal years is the mos t likely reason why body mass increased proportionally more than VO2peak in girls. The present study indicates that VO2peak when expressed as millilit ers per kilogram per minute (ml kg(-1) min(-1)) is a poor denominator for V O2peak as a function of running performance in children and adolescents.