Work performance of high-altitude Aymara males

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Abstract
Aymara males (28) between the ages of 15 and 43 yr were studied. The subjects were rural high-altitude natives who were temporarily working as porters in La Paz, Bolivia (3700 m). Mean .ovrhdot.VO2 max [maximum O2 consumption] was 46.5 ml/kg per min. There was a significant negative relationship between .ovrhdot.VO2 max and age in adult porters. However, there was also a significant positive relationship between maximal work output and age and a significant negative relationship between .ovrhdot.VO2 during submaximal exercise and age. Relative work intensity (.ovrhdot.VO2/.ovrhdot.VO2 max) during submaximal exercise did not change significantly with age. Thus, even though .ovrhdot.VO2 max decreased significantly with age, there may not be a substantial decrease with age in the adaptive status of these men. Minimal support was found for the hypothesis that chest size in Andean Highlanders influences the effectiveness of the O2 transport system.