Determining cardiovascular fitness normative reference values in a university aged Canadian population using maximal exercise testing

Study aim: Maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) is the greatest rate at which the body can use oxygen and is an indicator of aerobic power. Although aerobic fitness is such a valuable determinant of health, there is limited research with established normative values for a healthy young adult Canadian population. The purpose of the study was to develop normative reference values for a Canadian young-adult population.

Material and methods: 550 undergraduate student (280 male and 270 female) participants, with a mean body mass (BM) of 72.08 ± 15.05 kg, mean age of 21.16 ± 1.26 years old and mean height of 171.95 ± 10.25 cm completed a VO_2max test using the Bruce treadmill protocol. Male and female classifications were established for the total exercise time in minutes and for the measured VO_2max using percentiles and a seven-category classification system.

Results: There were statistically significant differences between the sexes for VO_2max values (p < 0.001). The measured assessment for the healthy young Canadian adults showed a mean VO_2max value of 40.90 ± 7.50 mL/kg/min for females and 49.89 ± 9.20 mL/kg/min for males. Females were able to withstand the exercise protocol for a mean of 11.92 ± 1.97 minutes, while males exercised for an average of 14.33 ± 2.40 minutes before the test was terminated.

Conclusions: This study provides specific normative values for the aerobic fitness of a university aged Canadian population which can be used as reference values for cardiovascular health and fitness assessments.