The Prediction and Comparison of Maximal O2 Pulse in Male Adolescents

The oxygen pulse as an indicator of O2 conveyance in circulatory system has recently been subject to clinical investigations, and there is not much information about this cardiovascular variable. The purpose of this study was the prediction and comparison of maximal O2 pulse in male adolescents. For this purpose, 60 adolescents with a mean (S.D) age, weight and height of 16±0.81 years, 59.92±10.39 Kg and 168±8.17 cm respectively, and were selected randomly, participated in this research. To predict the maximal O2 pulse, the subjects performed 4 exercise tests: GXT Treadmill test, pwc 195, pwc 212 ergometer test and one mile running test. Then, to select an optimum exercise test, the values obtained from 4 exercise tests were compared with Cooper predictive protocol (criterion protocol). GXT test, in comparison with pwc 195, pwc 212 and 1 mile running test, revealed that objective prediction of maximal O2 pulse (14.40 ml.beat) did not show any significant difference from Cooper protocol (P=0.519). The pwc 195 (P=0.001), pwc 212 (P=0.001) and 1 significant different (from the viewpoint of overestimation, underestimation) from Cooper protocol. The results suggest that maximal O2 pulse, as an indicator of cardiopulmonary efficiency, is predicted more objectively by GXT test rather than other exercise tests, so the value of maximal O2 pulse resulted from this protocol, is very close to Cooper values.