Summary Maximum cardiac output (Qmax) was determined for 233 males (aged 9 through 53 years) and 102 females (aged 9 through 20 years) by the carbon dioxide rebreathing technique during bicycle exercise. Maximum cardiac output of the males progressively increased from 12.5 to 22.0 liter/min until age 17 through 18 years and was maintained at this level until age 24 years. From age 25 years a decrease in Qmax to 16.7 liter/min by age 53 years was observed. Qmax of the females increased from a level of 10.5 liter/min at age 9 years to a Qmaximum of 15.5 liter/min at age 18 years, maintaining this level through age 20 years. Male Qmax for comparable ages above 18 years was 30 % higher than female Qmax . Using the average Qmax value of males of 23-24 years as an optimum value, the decrement in Qmax with each year was approximately 0.9 %.The aerobic work capacity (maximum oxygen intake; 102.a.) of humans is known to decrease with increasing years from an optimum age (ROBINSON, 1939;ASTRAND, 1960;. Oxygen intake is strongly related to cardiac output and one of the limitations in oxygen intake must be in the circulatory ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles. Unfortunately, data regarding the determination of cardiac output at VO2max have previously been reported for only a limited number of subjects representative of a narrow range in ages. Furthermore, data regarding the Qmax of females are limited. Therefore, this study was designed to systematically investigate the effect of increasing age, from 9 through 53 years, on Qmaximum cardiac output for males, and from 9 through 20 years for females. It was anticipated that such a study would define the role played by the cardiac output in the age-related decrease in maximum aerobic capacity and add to knowledge of the progressive increase in aerobic capacity of males and females during the developmental process of puberty.