CARDIORESPIRATORY FUNCTION IN COMPETITIVE ENDURANCE RUNNERS AGED 12‐16 YEARS COMPARED WITH ORDINARY BOYS

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Abstract
Male elite endurance runners (34) aged 12-16 yr and 56 ordinary boys of the same age were studied in cross-sectional age groups. At the age of 12-14 yr, there were only a few differences between the runners and the controls: the runners weighed less, were leaner and had higher .ovrhdot.VO2 max[maximum O2 uptake]/kg body weight. The runner''s good competitive performance could not be explained by a superior aerobic power at that age. In the age group of 16-yr-olds, additional major differences were found as follows: significantly higher .ovrhdot.VO2 max (4.05 l/min, 66 ml/min per kg), W170 (214 W, 3.5 W/kg), vital capacity (5.31 l), maximal expiratory volume (153 l/min), lower resting heart rate (62 beats/min) and larger heart volume (792 ml and 453 ml/m2 BSA [body surface area] in the runners. In this respect the runners resembled adult endurance athletes. No differences could be observed in any age group as to height, Hb concentration, blood pressure and maximal heart rate. The differences at the age of 16 yr are either training effects or due to a selection of certain endurance runner types.