Gender Difference in the Proportionality Factor Between the Mass Specific V·O_2max and the Ratio Between HR_max and HR_rest

Abstract

The maximal rate of oxygen uptake uptake (V·O_2max) is an important determinant of cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic performance. Estimation of V·O_2max from body mass (BM), maximal heart rate (HR_max) and resting heart rate (HR_rest) has recently been conducted in a group of well-trained men using the equation: dot VO_{2max} = BM cdot PF cdot {{HR_{max} } over {HR_{rest} }}, where PF denotes the proportionality factor between {{HR_{max} } over {HR_{rest} }} and the mass specific V·O_2max. Fick principle calculations show that PF is given as the product of the mass specific resting oxygen uptake (V·O_2rest) and the maximum-to-resting ratios for stroke volume and the arterio-venous O₂ difference. Due to women's lower mass specific V·O_2rest, a gender PF difference was hypothesised. In the present study PF was examined in a sample of 27 trained female subjects, and compared with a similar study conducted in men. Significant gender difference was observed in PF, but there was no gender difference when lean BM replaced BM in the PF calculation. Accordingly, V·O_2max could be estimated indirectly by the following equation: dot VO_{2max} = BM cdot PF cdot {{HR_{max} over {HR_{rest} }}, where PF is 14.5 ml · min^-1 · kg^-1 for women and 15.3 ml · min^-1 · kg^-1 for men. Cross validation showed that the SEE was 0.22 l/min (∼ 6.8 %).

Oxygen uptake - gender - heart rate - estimation - cardiorespiratory fitness

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