Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 60, Issue 1 209-215, Copyright © 1986 by American Physiological Society
Oxygen debt in submaximal and supramaximal exercise in children at high and low altitude
N. Fellmann, M. Bedu, H. Spielvogel, G. Falgairette, E. Van Praagh and J. Coudert
The effect of high altitude (HA) on O2 debt and blood lactate concentration
[( L]) was examined in 10- to 13-yr-old children who exhibited the same
level of physical fitness. Fifty-one children acclimatized to HA (3,700 m)
were compared with 40 children living at low altitude (LA, 330 m) during
submaximal (20-95% maximal aerobic power, MAP), maximal and supramaximal
(115% MAP) bicycle exercise. Results showed that 1) maximal O2 uptake
(VO2max) and maximal heart rate were significantly (P less than 0.001)
lower at HA than at LA by 15% and 11 beats X min-1, respectively; 2) for a
given absolute work load, O2 debt was higher at HA than at LA, and the
slopes of the linear relationships between O2 debt and O2 uptake were
significantly higher at HA; 3) when related to percent of VO2max, O2 debts
in HA and LA were similar; for 115% MAP maximal O2 debt and [L] were not
significantly different (maximal O2 debt, 45.7 +/- 2.7 and 45.9 +/- 3.8 ml
X kg-1; [L], 6.0 +/- 0.3 and 6.7 +/- 0.5 mM); and 4) linear relationships
between maximal O2 debt and [L] were the same at HA and LA. This suggests
that HA did not modify the anaerobic capacity in children.
