Relationships In Man Between The Maximal Oxygen Intake And Components Of Body Composition

Author : Jerry A. Dempsey
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (143 download)

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Download or read book Anthropometrical and Physiological Observations on Obese and Non-obese Young Men Undergoing a Program of Vigorous Physical Exercise written by Jerry A. Dempsey and published by . This book was released on 1963 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seven young men, differing markedly in body fat content, were tested at the beginning and end of consecutive periods of: daily training (8 weeks), voluntary training (5 weeks), and daily training (5 weeks). Body composition was assessed by means of water immersion densitometry, skin- fold fat measures, and both gross and fat-corrected body dimensions. Basal oxygen consumption, muscular strength, and the Balke treadmill test of sub-maximal work capacity were also measured. Caloric consumption over the entire 18 weeks, and physical activity during the period of voluntary activity, were recorded daily. The following changes were observed, within the limitations of measurement, in subjects undergoing daily training. Weight losses in initially overweight men were composed of increase in fat-free body weight and muscular mass, and decreases in skinfold and total body fat. One very thin subject increased his gross body weight entirely through a gain of fat-free body weight and muscle mass, while body fat remained constant. These changes were not evidenced during the period of reduced activity. Total proportional strength increased and decreased with training and detraining respectively, and was not directly dependent upon body mass or body composition. Basal oxygen intake increased per unit of weight and decreased per unit of fat-free body weight. The former change was partially accounted for by an increase in muscle mass, while the latter was attributed, primarily, to a decrease in body fat. Treadmill performance time improved irrespective of initial values and improvements were retained over the period of decreased activity. In 36 relatively sedentary young men, five measures of body mass and body composition were found (multiple regression analysis) to account for 52.21 per cent of the total interpersonal variance in treadmill performance time. Relative obesity or per cent body fat accounted for the majority (23.87%) of the variance and was significantly related to performance time with the effect of gross body weight partially out (r = -.603). The relationships between these variables were somewhat reduced in subjects who had undergone a daily program of vigorous exercise. The present findings are in agreement with previous clinical and laboratory observations which have associated obesity with an accumulation of excess body fat as well as subnormal levels of cardio-vascular performance, muscular strength and basal metabolism. It was further evidenced that a progressive program of vigorous, physical exercise contributed to the therapy of obesity by: a) specifically or independently changing each of the above parameters, and b) rendering changes in certain aspects of body composition which in turn contributed to improvements in the selected physiological variables.