Estimation of Maximal Oxygen Uptake without Exercise Testing in Korean Healthy Adult Workers

Estimation of Maximal Oxygen Uptake without Exercise Testing in Korean Healthy Adult Workers

TAE-WON JANG,¹ SHIN-GOO PARK,² HYOUNG-RYOUL KIM,¹ JUNG-MAN KIM,³ YOUNG-SEOUB HONG³ and BYOUNG-GWON KIM³

¹Department of Preventive Medicine and Center for Occupational and Environmental Medical, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Korea
³Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea

Maximal oxygen uptake is generally accepted as the most valid and reliable index of cardiorespiratory fitness and functional aerobic capacity. The exercise test for measuring maximal oxygen uptake is unsuitable for screening tests in public heath examinations, because of the potential risks of exercise exertion and time demands. We designed this study to determine whether work-related physical activity is a potential predictor of maximal oxygen uptake, and to develop a maximal oxygen uptake equation using a non-exercise regression model for the cardiorespiratory fitness test in Korean adult workers. Study subjects were adult workers of small-sized companies in Korea. Subjects with history of disease such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma and angina were excluded. In total, 217 adult subjects (113 men of 21-55 years old and 104 women of 20-64 years old) were included. Self-report questionnaire survey was conducted on study subjects, and maximal oxygen uptake of each subject was measured with the exercise test. The statistical analysis was carried out to develop an equation for estimating maximal oxygen uptake. The predictors for estimating maximal oxygen uptake included age, gender, body mass index, smoking, leisure-time physical activity and the factors representing work-related physical activity. The work-related physical activity was identified to be a predictor of maximal oxygen uptake. Moreover, the equation showed high validity according to the statistical analysis. The equation for estimating maximal oxygen uptake developed in the present study could be used as a screening test for assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in Korean adult workers.

keywords —— exercise; oxygen uptake; physical activity; physical fitness; step test

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2012, 227, 313-319

Correspondence: Jung-Man Kim, Ph.D., Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, 1, 3-Ga, Dongdaesin-Dong, Seo-Gu, Busan 602-714, Korea.

e-mail: jmkim2@donga.ac.kr