Papic Valentina, Ledergerber Romina, Roth Ralf, Knaier Raphael
Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Pediatr Res. 2025 Jun 19. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04212-9.
Physiological responses to exercise differ between children and adults, but achieving maximal exertion in children complicates the interpretation of VO. This study, therefore, examines age- and sex-related physiological differences in submaximal parameters during incremental exercise.
In this cross-sectional study, 24 children (7-11 years), 20 moderately trained adults (MTA), and 20 well-trained adults (WTA; 20-30 years) completed a maximal incremental exercise test on a cycle ergometer with continuous respiratory measurement. Linear regression models analysed age and sex differences in ventilatory thresholds (VT1, VT2) and oxygen uptake efficiency slope and plateau (OUES), with Cohen's d effect sizes reported.
Children showed higher body mass-adjusted VO at VT1 and VT2 (d = 0.58-0.66) compared to MTA, and slightly lower VT2 values than WTA (d = 0.35). Adults had higher absolute OUES (d = 0.37-1.45) and OUEP (d = 0.60-0.81), while children exhibited higher body mass-adjusted OUES (d = 0.87 - 1.80). Males had higher VO at VT2, OUES, and OUEP (d = 0.41-0.81), while females showed higher relative VO at VT1 and VT2 (d = 0.44-0.59) compared to males.
Children rely more on oxidative metabolism than adults. Maturation influences exercise efficiency more than body mass, underscoring physiological differences. These age- and sex-specific patterns call for longitudinal studies to further explore the roles of growth and training.
This study identifies clear physiological differences in submaximal CPET parameters between children and adults. It adds novel insight by including both ventilatory thresholds and oxygen uptake efficiency, adjusted for body mass and training status. The findings suggest children rely more on oxidative metabolism, emphasizing the importance of maturation on exercise efficiency and informing age- and sex-specific assessment protocols in pediatric exercise physiology.
儿童与成人对运动的生理反应有所不同，但在儿童中实现最大运动强度会使对VO的解读变得复杂。因此，本研究考察了递增运动过程中次最大参数的年龄和性别相关生理差异。
在这项横断面研究中，24名儿童（7 - 11岁）、20名中度训练的成年人（MTA）和20名训练有素的成年人（WTA；20 - 30岁）在配备连续呼吸测量装置的功率自行车上完成了最大递增运动测试。线性回归模型分析了通气阈值（VT1、VT2）、摄氧效率斜率和平台期（OUES）的年龄和性别差异，并报告了科恩d效应量。
与MTA相比，儿童在VT1和VT2时表现出更高的体重校正VO（d = 0.58 - 0.66），且VT2值略低于WTA（d = 0.35）。成年人的绝对OUES（d = 0.37 - 1.45）和OUEP（d = 0.60 - 0.81）更高，而儿童表现出更高的体重校正OUES（d = 0.87 - 1.80）。男性在VT2、OUES和OUEP时的VO更高（d = 0.41 - 0.81），而女性与男性相比，在VT1和VT2时表现出更高的相对VO（d = 0.44 - 0.59）。
儿童比成人更依赖氧化代谢。成熟对运动效率的影响大于体重，突出了生理差异。这些年龄和性别特异性模式需要纵向研究来进一步探索生长和训练的作用。
本研究确定了儿童和成人在次最大心肺运动试验参数方面存在明显的生理差异。通过纳入通气阈值和摄氧效率，并对体重和训练状态进行校正，增加了新的见解。研究结果表明儿童更依赖氧化代谢，强调了成熟对运动效率的重要性，并为儿童运动生理学中年龄和性别特异性评估方案提供了依据。
