Abstract
Maximal oxygen uptake was measured in thirty-three secondary school girls by means of the treadmill test. Eighteen middle school girls aged 14.0 (range: $13.0{\sim}15.9$) years and fifteen high school girls aged 16.9 (range: $16.0{\sim}18.0$) years served as subjects. Maximal treadmill run lasted for 2 minutes and 20 seconds and the expired air was collected in a Douglas bag through a J-valve during the last one minute period. In general, absolute values of various measurements in the high school girls were greater than those of the middle school girls. When values were expressed on the body weight or lean body weight basis, however, work capacity of middle school girls was superior to that of the high school girls. The detailed results are as follows: 1. In middle school girls maximal oxygen uptake was 1.78 l/min., 47.4 ml/kg body weight, 12.3 ml/cm body height, and 61.7ml/kg lean body mass. In high school girls maximal oxygen uptake was 1.93 l/min., 39.7ml/kg body weight, 12.3 ml/cm body height, and 51.2 ml/kg LBM. Although the absolute value of maximal oxygen uptake was greater in high school girls than in middle school girls, values expressed on the body weight basis showed the reverse trend, namely, values of the middle school girls was greater than those of the high school girls. 2. The ratio of maximal to resting oxygen uptake was 8.8 in the middle school girls and was 10.2 in the high school girls. 3. Maximal pulmonary ventilation in the middle school girls was 55.3 l/min. and 66.1 l/min. in the high school girls. The ratio of maximal to resting pulmonary ventilation was 10.2 in the middle school girls and 10.1 in the high school girls. 4. The correlation between body weight and maximal oxygen uptake was relatively high, namely, r=0.79 both in middle and high school girls. The correlation coefficient between body weight and maximal pulmonary ventilation was a little less that of between maximal oxygen uptake and showed a value of r=0.60 both in middle and high school girls. The lean body mass was a poor reference of maximal oxygen uptake or maximal pulmonary ventilation as compared to body weight. The correlation between maximal oxygen uptake and maximal pulmonary ventilation was high and the coefficient of correlation in middle school girls was 0.927 and in high school girls it was 0.856. 5. Maximal ventilation equivalent was 30.9 liters in middle school girls and 33.9 liters in high school girls. This indicated that no hyperventilation was induced during the maximal of oxygen uptake exercise period as related to the maximal oxygen uptake. 6. Heart rate reached to the peak value within 1.5 minutes after beginning of maximal oxygen uptake run and remained at the same peak plateau level throughout the entire running period. Heart rate decreased steeply on cessation of running and subsided slowly thereafter. The maximal heart rate was 184 beat/min. in middle school girls and 189 beat/min. in high school girls. 7. Maximal oxygen pulse was 9.4 in middle school girls and 9.9 ml/beat in high school girls.