The purposes of this study were to provide baseline data on the peak oxygen consumption (VO2) of British children, aged 11-16 years and to examine the peak VO2 of children in relation to their pubertal stage of development. The peak VO2 of 226 boys and 194 girls was determined during either treadmill running or cycle ergometry. The sexual maturity of 320 of the children was estimated using Tanner's indices. Peak VO2 increased with chronological age in both sexes and from about the age of 12 years boys exhibited significantly higher (P less than 0.05) values than girls. Boys' peak VO2 in relation to body mass was consistent over the age range studied and was superior (P less than 0.05) to girls' values at all ages. It appears that mass-related peak VO2 is independent of sexual maturity in both sexes. The more mature boys demonstrated a significantly higher (P less than 0.05) peak VO2 (1.min-1) than the less mature boys on both ergometers. The more mature girls demonstrated significantly higher (P less than 0.05) peak VO2 (1.min-1) than the less mature girls only on the cycle ergometer. On both ergometers the differences between the peak VO2 of the girls and boys were more pronounced in the mature children whether expressed in relation to body mass or not. Comparison of the results with earlier data drawn from smaller samples failed to provide evidence to suggest that British children's peak VO2 has declined in recent years. No study with which to compare our maturity peak VO2 data appears to be available.

The peak oxygen uptake (VO2) of 199 boys and 164 girls (mean age 13.2±1.3 yrs) was examined in relation to their body fatness, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol level. Peak VO2 was significantly correlated with skinfold thickness in both sexes (range r = −0.41 to −0.56). When the common effects of skinfold thickness were removed, no significant relationships were observed between peak VO2 and either serum cholesterol or blood pressure. The habitual physical activity (HPA) of 92 boys and 132 girls (mean age 13.0+1.3 yrs) was examined in relation to their body fatness, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol. No significant relationships were observed. The results of this study indicate that although skinfold thickness is negatively related to peak VO2, favorable relationships between children’s peak VO2 or HPA and either blood pressure or serum cholesterol remain to be proven.

The present study examined the relationship between peak V̇O2 and habitual physical activity in 11- to 16-year-old students. The peak V̇O2 of 111 girls and 85 boys was determined using treadmill or cycle ergometry. Habitual physical activity was estimated from minute-by-minute heart rate monitoring over three 12-hr periods during normal school days. Over half of the girls and one third of the boys failed to sustain a single 10-min period with their heart rate at or above 140 bpm. Only one boy sustained a daily 20-minute period with a heart rate at or above 160 bpm. During Saturday monitoring over 90% of the girls and 75% of the boys failed to sustain a single 10-min period with their heart rate at or above 140 bpm, and only one girl and four boys sustained a 20-min period with their heart rate at or above 160 bpm. No significant relationship was detected between peak V̇O2 and heart rate indicators of habitual physical activity. This study suggests that few children have periods of physical activity of sufficient intensity and duration to stress the cardiopulmonary system.

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A total of 100 boys and 91 girls, ages 11 to 16 years, completed a discontinuous treadmill test to voluntary exhaustion to determine the oxygen uptake/blood lactate relationship. Maturational stage was assessed in 72 boys and 47 girls using Tanner’s indices. Mean blood lactate at peak VO2 was significantly higher in the girls compared to the boys (6.1 vs. 5.8 mmol•l-1, P<0.01). Lactate at peak VO2 and percent peak VO2 at 4.0 mmol•l-1 were not significantly correlated with chronological age (p>0.05) in either sex, although a relationship was obtained between chronological age and percent peak VO2 at 2.5 mmol•l-“1 for boys (r= ‒0.226, p<.05) and girls (r= ‒0.272, p0.05). Analysis of variance revealed no significant changes (p>0.05) in any of the lactate variables examined with progression through the Tanner stages of maturity.