The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the respiratory compensation point (RCP) in overweight and normoweight boys and to clarify changes in the RCP over 4 years. This study was conducted with 11 overweight boys and 14 boys with normal weight. The boys performed the graded test every 2 years (three series) beginning at the age of 9-10 years and finishing at the age of 13-14 years. During the test, the RCP was detected. In every series, the RCP occurred earlier in the overweight boys than in the normoweight boys and at a significantly (P<0·05) lower rate relative to body mass power output (P kg(-1) ). Relative oxygen uptake (VO2 kg(-1) ) at the RCP in all studies was also significantly (P<0·05) lower in the group of overweight boys. The maximum level of analysed indicators (VO2 max; Pmax) differentiated both groups in similar ways as their level noted at RCP. This study showed significant (P<0·05) correlation between the values VO2 max kg(-1) and VO2 kg(-1) at RCP in each series of the test and between Pmax kg(-1) and P kg(-1) at RCP. The respiratory compensation point seems to be a good method for evaluating aerobic performance in children (also overweight). During puberty, a decreasing tendency in aerobic performance was observed in both groups.
Keywords: body composition; children; obesity; oxygen uptake; ventilatory threshold.
© 2013 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.