Twenty-four male subjects aged 17–33 were given three direct tests of maximal oxygen uptake and one indirect test. The direct tests were those of Mitchell, Sproule, and Chapman (treadmill); Taylor, Buskirk, and Henschel (treadmill); and Åstrand (bicycle ergometer). The indirect test was the Åstrand-Ryhming nomogram (bicycle ergometer) employing heart rate response to submaximal work. In addition, the Johnson, Brouha, and Darling physical fitness test was administered. The two treadmill tests and the indirect test yielded significantly higher mean values than did the direct bicycle test. However no other significant differences in mean values occurred. Correlation coefficients between the various oxygen uptake tests as well as the fitness test were all found to be significant (.62–.83), i.e., greater than zero. No correlation obtained proved to be significantly greater than any other. The results indicate that direct treadmill tests, employing greater muscle mass, yield higher maximal oxygen uptake values (8%) than does the direct bicycle ergometer test. The Åstrand-Ryhming nomogram appears to produce a good estimation of maximal oxygen uptake, in a population unaccustomed to cycling. erobic capacity; exercise; heart rate Submitted on September 17, 1964

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Fitness, weight, blood-pressure, and lipids were measured in 290 women joining a fitness programme. Five years later, 110 (38%) had remained active, and the others had become sedentary again. The net effect of being active was to increase fitness by 18% and to reduce weight by 1.9 kg, diastolic blood pressure by 3 mmHg, and triglycerides by 0.15 mmol/L-1. After controlling for age, weight and fitness, physical activity accounted for 1% and 3% of the variance of changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively, and was not associated with changes in lipids. Change in fitness accounted for only 1% of change in diastolic blood pressure. More 'active' women gave up smoking than 'inactive' (70% versus 10%). Hypertensive women were more sensitive to changes in weight and fitness than normotensive women. It was concluded that physical activity and change in fitness were only weakly related to changes in blood pressure and were unrelated to changes in lipids.

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