Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
2 Exercise Physiology (PhD)TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Germany,
Abstract
Purpose: The acute ventilatory response to exercise in adolescents is a critical indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness, yet the predictive power of basic anthropometric measures for this response, particularly in field-based settings, is not fully established. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anthropometric variables (height, weight, BMI) and acute ventilatory responses both at rest and immediately following a maximal one-mile (1600m) field run in healthy adolescent boys. Method: In a pre-test/post-test experimental design, 80 healthy adolescent boys (mean age: 14.65 ± 1.22 years, height: 168.20 ± 9.72, body mass index: 19.54 ± 2.80) were selected via cluster sampling. Anthropometric data (height, weight, BMI) and estimated VO₂max were recorded. Pulmonary function variables (FVC, FEV₁, VC, TV, MVV) were measured via spirometry at rest and immediately after a maximal one-mile run. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to predict ventilatory responses from anthropometric and physiological variables. Results: Height, weight, and BMI were all significant predictors of pulmonary function (FVC, FEV₁, VC) in both pre- and post-test conditions (p < 0.05). Height emerged as the strongest single predictor. A slight but consistent decrease in mean FVC, FEV₁, and VC values was observed post-exercise. VO₂max was a weaker predictor compared to anthropometric measures. Conclusion: Basic anthropometric characteristics, most notably height, are strong and consistent predictors of pulmonary function in adolescent boys, both at rest and following acute strenuous exercise. These findings highlight the importance of using individual morphometric characteristics for accurately assessing and interpreting exercise-induced ventilatory responses in youth populations. Field-based testing provides a valid practical method for such evaluations.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)