Development of a normative reference standard for maximal oxygen consumption using the Ball State University-Adult Physical Fitness Program cohort

Background: Normative values of VO2max have been developed or updated based on the estimated VO2max, but measured normative values of VO2max have not been developed yet. VO2max has been reported to relate to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors, yet most of the studies have used estimated VO2max to compare CHD risk factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop norms for VO2max from the Ball State University (BSU) Adult Physical Fitness Program cohort that represented percentiles based on the measured VO2max. In addition, this study evaluated the relationship between measured VO2max and six coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors, which include Body Bass Index (BMI), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glucose, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and resting blood pressure (BP).Methods: Subjects were healthy men (N=1,867) and women (N=1,253), ranging in age from 19 to 75 years, who completed the standard BSU Adult Physical Fitness Program quiet and exercise testing sessions between 1971 and 2000, with the graded exercise testing (GXT) conducted with one of the following protocols including modified walking, running, Balke, Bruce, and BSU/Bruce ramp. To be included, subjects had to achieve respiratory exchange ratio (RER) >1.0 during their exercise test.Results: All subjects were classified into ten group determined by deciles of VO2max for each decade of age for males and females respectively. A linear regression showed that VO2max decreased 10.1% per decade (0.44 mi.kg'•min'•yr') for men and 9.7% per decade (0.32 ml•kg-l.min-l.yr') for women. There was no significant difference in the rate of agerelated decline in VO2max per decade between men and women or between deciles of VO2max. Also, the percent of subjects with an exercise history code >5 (regularly participate in exercise at least 3 days per week) was higher in the higher VO2max deciles. In addition, five positive CHD risk factors were inversely related to VO2max, and one negative CHD risk factor was directly related to VO2max. As expected, the higher CRF groups had a more favorable CHD risk factor profile. Also, the mean of VO2max decreased with the greater number of CHD risk factors.Conclusion: This study developed normative values of the VO2max based on measured VO2max. VO2max was significantly correlated to CHD risk factors.School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise ScienceThesis (M.S.