Armstrong N, Welsman J, Winsley R
Children's Health and Exercise Research Centre, University of Exeter.
Int J Sports Med. 1996 Jul;17(5):356-9. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-972860.
A levelling of oxygen uptake (VO2 plateau) at high exercise intensities is conventionally used as the criterion for establishing VO2max during progressive, incremental exercise testing. Only a minority of children, however, demonstrate a VO2 plateau during exercise to voluntary exhaustion. This study was therefore designed to investigate whether a VO2 plateau is required before peak VO2 can be considered a maximal index of children's aerobic fitness. Eighteen girls and 17 boys (age 9.9 +/- 0.4 yrs) carried out three treadmill tests to exhaustion one week apart. The first test comprised a discontinuous, incremental protocol to voluntary exhaustion. In test two each child warmed up and then ran to exhaustion at the same belt speed but on a gradient 2.5% greater than that which had produced an exhaustive effort on the first test. The third test was conducted similarly but the treadmill gradient was raised to 5% greater than that which had produced an exhaustive effort on the first test. Seven girls and 6 boys demonstrated a VO2 plateau (< or = 2 ml.kg-1.min-7) on the first test but no significant differences in either anthropometrical or peak physiological data were detected between those who demonstrated a plateau and those who did not. Mean peak VO2 values during tests two and three (supramaximal tests) did not increase significantly above that achieved on test one although indicators of an increased anaerobic contribution were significantly higher in both supramaximal tests. These findings indicate that peak VO2 in test one was a maximal value despite the absence of a VO2 plateau. The requirement of a VO2 plateau before peak VO2 can be regarded as a maximal index of young children's aerobic fitness is therefore untenable.
在进行递增式运动测试时，通常以高运动强度下摄氧量趋于平稳（即“摄氧量平台期”）作为确定最大摄氧量（VO2max）的标准。然而，只有少数儿童在运动至自愿疲劳时会出现摄氧量平台期。因此，本研究旨在探讨在将峰值摄氧量视为儿童有氧适能的最大指标之前，是否需要出现摄氧量平台期。18名女孩和17名男孩（年龄9.9±0.4岁）每隔一周进行三次跑步机测试直至疲劳。第一次测试采用不连续的递增方案至自愿疲劳。在第二次测试中，每个孩子先进行热身，然后以相同的跑带速度跑步直至疲劳，但坡度比第一次测试中产生疲劳的坡度大2.5%。第三次测试方式类似，但跑步机坡度比第一次测试中产生疲劳的坡度提高到5%。7名女孩和6名男孩在第一次测试中出现了摄氧量平台期（≤2毫升·千克-1·分钟-1），但在出现平台期的儿童和未出现平台期的儿童之间，人体测量数据或峰值生理数据均未发现显著差异。尽管在两次超最大强度测试中无氧代谢贡献增加的指标显著更高，但第二次和第三次测试（超最大强度测试）期间的平均峰值摄氧量相比第一次测试并未显著增加。这些结果表明，尽管没有摄氧量平台期，第一次测试中的峰值摄氧量仍是最大值。因此，在将峰值摄氧量视为幼儿有氧适能的最大指标之前需要摄氧量平台期这一要求是站不住脚的。
