Aerobic working capacity of Eskimos’

aerobic working capacity was measured in eight young Eski-mos. Their maximal oxygen uptake averaged 2.6 liter/min. This is considerably lower than that found in young Caucasian men. The heart rate-oxygen uptake relationship also indicates a lower physiological capacity of the Eskimos. Expressing maximal oxygen uptake on a body weight basis brings about substantial agreement with results of experiments on sedentary-living Scandinavian students. The heart rate taken at the end of the maximal work averaged I 73 min for the Eskimos which is about IO o/0 lower than found in Caucasian men, indicating that the work test (bicycling) did not activate the circulatory system of the Eskimos maximally. By assuming a linear cor-relation between heart rate and O2 consumption up to its maximal value, the maximal 0, uptake would have to be 20~7~ greater to give a maximal heart rate similar to that observe