Intraindividual allometric development of aerobic power in 8- to 16-year-old boys

Abstract

BEUNEN, G., A. D. G. BAXTER-JONES, R. L. MIRWALD, M. THOMIS, J. LEFEVRE, R. M. MALINA, and D. A. BAILEY. Intraindividual allometric development of aerobic power in 8- to 16-year-old boys. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 503–510, 2002. The aims of this study are two-fold: first, to analyze intraindividual allometric development of aerobic power of 73 boys followed at annual intervals from 8 to 16 yr, and second, to relate scaled aerobic power with level of habitual physical activity and biological maturity status. Peak V̇O2 (treadmill), height, and body mass were measured. Biological maturity was based on age at peak height velocity (PHV) and level of physical activity was based on five assessments between 11 and 15 yr and at 17 yr. Interindividual and intraindividual allometric coefficients were calculated. Multilevel modeling was applied to verify if maturity status and activity explain a significant proportion of peak V̇O2 after controlling for other explanatory characteristics. At most age levels, interindividual allometry coefficients for body mass exceed k = 0.750. Intraindividual coefficients of peak V̇O2 by body mass vary widely and range from k′ = 0.555 to k′ = 1.178. Late maturing boys have smaller k′ coefficients than early maturing boys. Peak V̇O2 is largely explained by body mass, but activity level and its interaction with maturity status contribute independently to peak V̇O2 even after adjusting for body mass.