Modeling maximum oxygen uptake of elite endurance athletes

To compare the maximum oxygen uptake (V�� O2max) of elite endurance athletes and to explain why the body mass exponent, necessary to render V�� O2max independent of body mass, appears to be greater than 0.67. Methods: Study 1: V�� O2max of 174 international sportsmen and women was assessed. Athletes were recruited from seven sports (middle- and long-distance runners, heavyweight and lightweight rowers, triathletes, and squash and badminton players). Study 2: calf and thigh leg muscle masses were estimated in 106 male and 30 female athletes from 11 sports. Differences in V�� O2max and leg muscle masses between ���sports��� and ���sex��� were analyzed independent of body mass by using allometric log-linear ANCOVA. Results: Heavyweight rowers had the greatest V�� O2max when expressed in L��min 1 but long-distance runners had the highest V�� O2max in mL��kg 1��min 1. However, the ANCOVA identified no difference in ���mass independent���V�� O2max between the five ���pure��� endurance sports (runners, rowers, and triathletes) (P 0.05) with the two racket sports being significantly lower. The body mass covariate exponent was inflated, estimated as 0.94. The results from study 2 estimated calf and thigh leg muscle masses to increase in proportion to body mass, m1.11 and m1.38, respectively. Conclusions: After having controlled for differences in body mass,V�� O2max did not differ between pure endurance sports (P 0.05). Assuming that athletes��� thigh muscle mass increases in proportion to body mass m1.38 as observed in study 2, a similar disproportional increase in V�� O2max would be anticipated, providing a plausible explanation for the inflated mass exponent associated with V�� O2max identified in this and other studie