The Cardiorespiratory fitness of children and adolescents in Tibet at altitudes over 3,500 meters

Abstract

Background Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is the core element of health-related physical fitness evaluation. High pressure and low oxygen in Tibet (over 3,500 m above sea level) may negatively impact the residents’ CRF. The 20-m shuttle run test (20mSRT) is the most popular field-based assessment and estimate of CRF in children and adolescents worldwide. However, normative CRF data for the children and adolescents residing in China’s plateau region are unavailable, which prevents comparability among those living at high-altitudes around the world. Purpose To measure the CRF of Chinese children and adolescents aged 9–18 years living in Tibet at altitudes exceeding 3,500 m, and to identify correlations between this metric and demographic characteristics (age, sex, and ethnicity). These data were then compared with those generated in the lowland (Shanghai, China) and various global regions. Methods 20mSRT performance (number of completed laps) and predicted peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) were used as indicators of CRF. We measured the CRF of 1,717 healthy children and adolescents aged 9–18 years living in Tibet. The CRF data from school-age subjects in Shanghai (2,437 boys and 2,396 girls) and worldwide (1,142,026 students from 50 countries/regions in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania) were collated from published papers. Results The average CRF of the participants from Tibet was 39.8 mL/kg/min. The male subjects (n = 876; 41.1 ± 4.42 mL/kg/min) had a higher average CRF than their female counterparts (n = 841; 37.8 ± 5.40 mL/kg/min). CRF decreased with age in both sexes at statistical significance (F = 1249.9, p for trend 0.05). The indigenous Tibetans (n = 1289; 40.1 ± 3.71 mL/kg/min) had a significant higher average CRF than those of Han descent (n = 394; 38.9 ± 4.70 mL/kg/min) (p < 0.05). Conclusions Children and adolescents aged 7–18 years residing above 3,500 m in Tibet displayed lower CRF traits compared with their counterparts from the plains area and other high altitude places. CRF varied according to age, sex, and ethnic group. Given the importance of CRF in children and adolescents, effective intervention strategies should be implemented to improve CRF in children and adolescents on the plateau.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Motor Coordination, and Academic Achievement in School Students (11-13 years)

“…This could be due to sex differences in body fat tissue and lean body weight composition, as well as differences in hemoglobin content between pubertal males and females, which is a critical component of the sex-based variations in CRF. 38 Furthermore, the results of this study revealed a significant difference between sexes on the flamingo test (P = .01), with males scoring higher. A similar study addressed the associations between gross motor coordination and academic achievement in elementary school children in Portugal 6 found that males had significantly higher average levels of gross motor control and fitness than females, which could be attributed to males engaging in more physical activity and sports than females.…”

The Native Features of Plantar Pressure Distribution with Centers of Gravity and Foot Posture Among Indigenous Taiwanese

“…There have also been studies in other countries on indigenous people's physical tness and sports performance, for example, a recent study conducted by Chiluwal shows that indigenous students in Nepal's Lamjung district are physically better than non-indigenous students [8]. In addition, Fan et al argued that Tibetan children and adolescents generally have better cardiopulmonary tness and basic exercise abilities than Han counterparts because they have grown up in a high-altitude environment [9]. However, cardiorespiratory tness, as an indicator of healthy physical performance, is directly related to factors such as exercise performance and cardiovascular disease risk [10].…”

The Multistage 20-Meter Shuttle Run Test Reference Values for Tibetan Children and Adolescents in Tibet, China

“…To adapt to chronic hypoxia, Chinese Tibetans exhibit important physiological and morphologic characteristics of the cardiopulmonary, system such as large chest dimensions [23,24]. A recent report suggested that children and adolescents aged 7-18 years residing above 3500 m in Tibet displayed lower CRF compared with their counterparts from the plains area [25]. Therefore, it is unreasonable to adopt the Chinses national standard to evaluate the CRF of Tibetan children and adolescents at high altitudes, and it is necessary to establish reference values of CRF for this population.…”