Acute ventilatory responses to intensive aerobic exercise in healthy young boys aged 13-16 years: Relationship to anthropometric factors

Purpose: The purpose of present study was to determine the relationship between acute ventilatory
responses to intensive aerobic exercise with body size and also to estimate acute ventilatory
responses including forced expiratory volume in one second, forced vital capacity, vital capacity,
maximal voluntary ventilation and tidal volume in 8 to 18 years old individuals after intensive
aerobic exercise. Methods: For this reason 80 students (height, 141-192 cm; weight, 32-95 kg;
BMI, 14.6-30) were selected. At the beginning, their anthropometric characteristics were measured.
In subsequent phase, acute ventilatory responses of subjects were measured by spirometer
immediately after intensive aerobic exercise (1600 m run). Regression analysis (Stepwise model)
using height, age and body mass index as independent variables was applied to provide predicted
values for acute ventilatory responses. Results: Results showed that the variables of pulmonary
function tests (PFT) are dependent on height, weight and BMI. There were largest correlations for
each pulmonary function variable with height. The largest positive correlations were found for VC
with height (r= 0.53). Conclusions: The results indicated that anthropometric parameters including
height, body weight and BMI can be proper predictors for respiratory function during intensive
aerobic exercise.