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Leg extensor power and functional performance in very old men and women.

1. Residents of a chronic care hospital (13 men of mean age 88.5 +/- 6 SD years and 13 women of mean age 86.5 +/- 6 SD years) who had multiple pathologies were assessed for leg extensor capability in several ways. 2. A custom-built rig was used to assess leg extensor power, that is, maximal power output over less than 1 s in a single extension of one leg. Performance measures were obtained by timing chair rises (from a standard chair 0.43 m high), stair climbing (four risers, total height 0.635 m) and a walk (6.1 m). For each measurement the best of several trials were recorded as definitive. 3. Leg extensor power was significantly correlated with all performance measures, but the performance measures were not related to each other except for chair rising and walking speed. 4. Women had significantly less extensor power than men, but their power explained more of the variance in performance, e.g. power accounted for 86% of the variance in walking speed. 5. There was no relation within the group between age and any of the variables measured. 6. Measurement of leg extensor power in frail elderly people may prove useful in focusing effective rehabilitation programmes.

Aged↗

Lack of effect of peripheral nervous blockade on nocturnal fluctuations in lower-leg subcutaneous blood flow in man.

1. The local subcutaneous adipose tissue blood flow was measured simultaneously in the right and left lower legs of 10 normal human subjects under out-patient nocturnal conditions. The 133Xe-wash-out technique, portable CdTe(Cl) detectors and a portable data-storage unit were used for the measurement of blood flow. 2. The purpose of the study was to unveil the possible role of centrally controlled nerve fibres to the measurement area as mediators of a previously described nocturnal subcutaneous hyperaemia of 2 h duration. Therefore, before the sleeping period, a local nervous blockade was applied immediately proximal to the isotope depot on the right lower leg by the injection of approximately 15 ml of bupivacaine (5 mg/ml) subcutaneously. 3. Control experiments revealed blockade of the baroreceptor vasoconstrictor reflex activity 4 h after application of the local nervous blockade in three subjects examined. 4. Identical nocturnal isotope-wash-out curves were recorded from the two legs. Subcutaneous blood flow was found to increase significantly (P < 0.0001) after approximately 1 h of sleep and the hyperaemia persisted for 2 h. 5. A significant positive correlation was detected between the latency periods from going to bed until the onset of the hyperaemia in the right and left lower legs (P < 0.001, r = 0.95). 6. No significant difference could be detected between the relative blood flow increase during the hyperaemic phase in the right and left lower legs (P = 0.83). 7. It is concluded that the present data seem to rule out a central nervous factor(s) as the eliciting mechanism of the nocturnal subcutaneous hyperaemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗

Influence of leg position and environmental temperature on segmental volume expansion during venous occlusion plethysmography.

Blood flow determinations by venous occlusion plethysmography applying the strain-gauge technique are frequently used. A problem with the strain-gauge technique is that the relationship between venous volume and transmural pressure is not linear and, furthermore, changes with the sympathetic tone. The present study tests the hypothesis that these factors lead to a redistribution of venous blood, which may impair the accuracy of the technique. The relative volume expansion rates of four leg segments were studied with the leg in different positions and at disparate temperatures, thereby inducing varying venous pressures and sympathetic tone ( n =6). With elevated leg and relaxed veins (at 50 degrees C), the distal thigh showed a relatively low expansion rate (25.8+/-4.5 ml.min(-1).l(-1)), whereas values in the calf segments were higher (34.5-39.0 ml.min(-1).l(-1)). With lower initial transmural pressure, calf segments can increase their volume much more during occlusion compared with the distal thigh. In a higher transmural pressure region (lowered leg), the difference in compliance between limb segments is less. In this case, compliance and volume expansion rate was higher in the distal thigh (14.2, 13.5 and 22.2 ml.min(-1).l(-1) at 10, 20 and 50 degrees C respectively) than in the calf segments (for the distal calf: 6.4, 7.7 and 16.2 ml.min(-1).l(-1) respectively). There was a significant interaction ( P <0.001) between temperature and leg position, indicating a higher degree of sympathetic vasoactivity in the calf. It is concluded that blood flow determination by strain-gauge plethysmography is less accurate, due to a potential redistribution of the venous blood. Therefore possible influences of variations in sympathetic tone and venous pressure must be considered even in intra-individual comparisons, especially in interventional studies.

Adult↗

Neuronal coordination of arm and leg movements during human locomotion.

We aimed to study the neuronal coordination of lower and upper limb muscles. We therefore evaluated the effect of small leg displacements during gait on leg and arm muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity in walking humans. During walking on a split-belt treadmill (velocity 3.5 km/h), short accelerations or decelerations were randomly applied to the right belt during the mid or end stance phase. Alternatively, trains of electrical stimuli were delivered to the right distal tibial nerve. The EMG activity of the tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius medialis (GM), deltoideus (Delt), triceps (Tric) and biceps brachii (Bic) of both sides was analysed. For comparison, impulses were also applied during standing and sitting. The displacements were followed by specific patterns of right leg and bilateral arm muscle EMG responses. Most arm muscle responses appeared with a short latency (65-80 ms) and were larger in Delt and Tric than in Bic. They were strongest when deceleration impulses were released during mid stance, associated with a right compensatory TA response. A similar response pattern in arm muscles was obtained following tibial nerve stimulation. The arm muscle responses were small or absent when stimuli were applied during standing or sitting. The arm muscle responses correlated more closely with the compensatory TA than with the compensatory GM responses. The amplitude of the responses in most arm muscles correlated closely with the background EMG activity of the respective arm muscle. The observations suggest the existence of a task-dependent, flexible neuronal coupling between lower and upper limb muscles. The stronger impact of leg flexors in this interlimb coordination indicates that the neuronal control of leg flexor and extensor muscles is differentially interconnected during locomotion. The results are compatible with the assumption that the proximal arm muscle responses are associated with the swinging of the arms during gait, as a residual function of quadrupedal locomotion.

Adult↗

Effects of endurance training on oxidative capacity and structural composition of human arm and leg muscles.

Six healthy subjects performed endurance training of the same duration with legs and arms consecutively. Performance and muscle structure were measured before and after training in lower and upper limbs. Training induced similar increases in maximal oxygen consumption (6 +/- 1 vs. 7 +/- 2 mL min-1 kg-1: legs vs. arms, P > 0.05) and mitochondrial volume in leg and arm muscles (42 +/- 12 vs. 31 +/- 11%: legs vs. arms, P > 0.05). The gain in mitochondrial volume after training was achieved solely by increasing the fraction of mitochondria (+40 +/- 11%, P < 0.05) in the same muscle volume (+2 +/- 2%, P > 0.05) in the legs. In contrast, increased muscle volume (+14 +/- 3%, P < 0.05), in addition to a tendency for an increase in mitochondrial fraction (+16 +/- 11%, P > 0.05), occurred in the arms after training. Thus, similar improvements in muscle oxidative capacity in upper and lower limbs were brought about by different mechanisms. It is suggested that due to infrequent use and a lack of load-bearing function, arm muscle volume is underdeveloped in untrained, sedentary or detrained/injured subjects and that the mode of endurance training used in this study is sufficient to enlarge arm muscle volume as well as aerobic capacity.

Adult↗

Erosive pustular dermatosis of the leg associated with compression bandaging and fungal infection.

BACKGROUND: Erosive pustular dermatosis of the leg (EPDL) has been described in association with venous insufficiency and atrophy of the skin of the lower leg. Like erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp, this disease has also been reported to be a non-infective condition. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinicopathological features and, where possible, the aetiology of clinical EPDL. METHODS: We identified a group of patients undergoing continuous compression bandaging for venous dermatitis of the legs and/or predominantly venous leg ulceration with clinical features described in patients with EPDL. They were investigated by skin biopsy, patch testing and microbiological tests for the presence of bacteria and fungi. RESULTS: Twenty-four of 400 (6%) patients were noted to have pustules on the leg(s). There was laboratory evidence of fungal infection in 13 of 24 patients (54%), with complete and sustained resolution of pustules after antifungal treatment. Pustulation in the other 11 patients (46%) was unresponsive to antibiotics for confirmed bacterial infection; some improvement was seen with potent topical corticosteroids but full clearance was achieved only after a switch from continuous four-layer compression bandaging to the use of intermittent long stretch compression. CONCLUSIONS: EPDL is a fairly common clinical picture seen in patients undergoing continuous compression bandaging. It may be produced by opportunistic, particularly fungal, infection. In almost half an infective aetiology cannot be demonstrated and a pyoderma gangrenosum-like process may be implicated.

Aged↗

A survey of the management of leg ulcers in primary care settings in Scotland.

A postal survey was undertaken to describe the management of leg ulcers in a sample of primary care settings in Scotland. The management of leg ulcers caused a considerable workload for all three groups of professionals, although general practitioners (GPs) reported seeing fewer patients. Initial assessment of leg ulcers was often carried out by nurses in collaboration with GPs; however, 48% of district nurses reported assessing patients alone. Choice of treatment depended on clinical criteria and frequency of visits to change dressings. Compression bandages were used routinely by 64% of nurses. Practice protocols were unusual, with only 12% of nurses reporting their use. The management of leg ulcers was not always optimum, and the findings indicate that evidence-based guidelines should be more widely adopted for the management of leg ulcers in general practice.

Community Health Nursing↗

Association between leg length and offspring birthweight: partial explanation for the trans-generational association between birthweight and cardiovascular disease: findings from the British Women's Heart and Health Study.

Low birthweight individuals not only have increased risk of cardiovascular disease themselves, but cardiovascular disease risk is also increased in their parents. The mechanisms underlying these trans-generational associations are not fully understood. We hypothesise that, in part, they reflect the trans-generational effects of poor maternal environmental circumstances in early childhood. Adverse environmental factors acting early in the mother's life will not only influence her own predisposition to cardiovascular disease but will also result in adverse consequences - low birthweight and increased cardiovascular disease risk in later life - for her offspring. Adult leg length is a valid indicator of early life environmental circumstances, in particular of infant nutrition. If our hypothesis is correct, then adult leg length should be positively associated with offspring birthweight. In this study of 4286 randomly selected women aged 60-79 years from 23 towns across England, Scotland and Wales, the magnitude of the association between leg length and offspring birthweight was greater than the association between trunk length and offspring birthweight. After control for potential confounding factors, offspring birthweight increased by 89.8 g [95% confidence interval 66.1, 113.5 g] for each standard deviation increase in maternal leg length, and by 55.2 g [32.2, 78.1 g] for each standard deviation increase in maternal trunk length. The association between leg length and offspring birthweight was unaffected by adjustment for maternal birthweight, but the association between trunk length and offspring birthweight was attenuated to 38.0 g [1.0, 74.9 g]. These findings support the hypothesis that adverse early childhood environmental circumstances affect not only the vitality and health of the woman in later life but also the birthweight of her offspring, and suggest that the trans-generational association between birthweight and cardiovascular disease is in part explained by early childhood maternal environmental circumstances.

Aged↗

Laser therapy of spider leg veins: clinical evaluation of a new long pulsed alexandrite laser.

BACKGROUND: The response of spider leg veins to laser or intense pulsed light therapy has generally been characterized by varying degrees of success and frequently inconsistent clinical response rates. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the 755 nm long pulsed infrared alexandrite (LPA) laser for the treatment of leg telangiectasias. METHODS: This study was constructed in four phases. Phase I examined 28 patients with variable sized telangiectasias using 5 treatment parameters (15 J/cm2 x 1 pulse, 20 J/cm2 x 1 pulse, 20 J/cm2 x 2 pulses, 20 J/cm2 x 3 pulses, or 30 J/cm2 x 1 pulse). Each patient received 3 treatments at 4 week intervals with the LPA. Patient diaries were obtained to examine the effects of the treatments. Subjective grading was performed at each follow-up visit by the investigators. Blinded objective grading was performed at the conclusion of the study by trained observers. Phase II examined the effects of these treatment parameters on varying vessel diameters. Vessels were grouped into small (<0.4 mm), intermediate (0.4-1.0 mm), and large (1.0-3.0 mm) subsets. Phase III examined the effects of a combination of LPA treatment followed by 23.4% hypertonic saline sclerotherapy. Subjective and blinded objective grading was used to determine improvement after a single treatment with the LPA at 20 J/cm2, single pulsed with a pulse duration of 5 or 10 msec followed by treatment with 23.4% hypertonic saline injected 3, 7, 14, or 28 days after laser therapy. Phase IV involved biopsies after LPA treatment alone at time intervals of immediately posttreatment and 5 and 21 days posttreatment. RESULTS: These evaluations revealed that the optimal treatment parameters for LPA therapy alone appeared to be 20 J/cm2, double pulsed at a repetition rate of one Hz. After 3 treatments at 4 week intervals, subjective grading indicated a 63% reduction in leg telangiectasias. Medium diameter vessels responded best with small vessel diameters responding poorly, if at all. The addition of 23.4% hypertonic saline sclerotherapy performed 3 to 7 days after laser therapy (LPA at 20 J/cm2, single pulsed with a pulse duration of 5 msec) produced 87% reduction in leg telangiectasias. Biopsies after LPA treatment revealed vessel wall endothelial cell necrosis at 5 days with fibrosis occurring at 3 weeks. The optimal clinical "window" for sclerotherapy seems to coincide with the period of endothelial cell necrosis. CONCLUSION: LPA therapy is most effective for leg telangiectasias 0.4-3.0 mm in diameter. This LPA technique is significantly improved with the addition of sclerotherapy.

Adult↗

An economic assessment of Apligraf (Graftskin) for the treatment of hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers.

Several recent advances in wound care may offer promise for the treatment of hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers. One such treatment is Apligraf (Graftskin), a bilayered, living human skin construct. To assess the economic impact of Graftskin, a model was constructed to compare the annual medical costs and cost-effectiveness of treating hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers with Graftskin vs. compression therapy using Unna's boot. A semi-Markov model was used to describe the pattern of ulcer treatment, healing, and recurrence among patients with venous leg ulcers. Patients received 1 of 2 treatment regimens, Graftskin or Unna's boot, and were followed in the model for a 12-month period. The analysis was done from the perspective of a commercial health plan; therefore, only direct medical costs were included. Health care resource use included the primary therapeutic intervention, additional compression dressings, physician office visits, home health visits, laboratory tests and procedures, management of adverse events, and hospitalizations. The model estimated the annual medical cost of managing patients with hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers to be $20,041 for those treated with Graftskin and $27,493 for those treated with Unna's boot. In addition, treatment with Graftskin led to approximately 3 more months in the healed state per person per year than did treatment with Unna's boot. Because patients treated with Graftskin experienced improved healing compared with those treated with compression therapy using Unna's boot, they required fewer months of treatment for unhealed ulcers. As a result, the use of Graftskin for treating hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers resulted in lower overall treatment costs.

Collagen↗

The diagnosis and management of 689 chronic leg ulcers in a single-visit assessment clinic.

OBJECTIVES: accurate diagnosis is essential if patients with chronic leg ulceration are to receive optimal treatment. This prospective study describes the findings of a standardised assessment protocol and the initial management of a consecutive series of patients with chronic leg ulceration presenting to a single-visit leg ulcer assessment clinic. METHODS: between January 1993 and January 1999, a total of 555 patients (220 men and 335 women of median age 73, range 28-95 years) with 689 chronic leg ulcers were assessed. Full clinical assessment, ankle:brachial pressure index and lower limb venous duplex scan were performed according to a standardised protocol and diagnostic and management data were recorded prospectively on a computerised database. RESULTS: venous disease alone was responsible for 496 of 689 (72%) ulcers. Isolated superficial venous reflux (SVR) was identified in 52% of limbs and two-thirds of these had superficial venous surgery. Combined SVR and segmental deep venous reflux (DVR) was present in 13%, and full-length DVR was present in 33% of limbs. Nineteen (4%) limbs had deep venous stenosis or obstruction. Overall, superficial venous surgery was performed in 43% and compression bandages or hosiery alone were applied in 52% of limbs. Mixed arterio-venous ulceration was present in 100 (14.5%) limbs of which 56 had arterial revascularisation, 38 had superficial venous surgery and 23 had compression alone. Fifteen limbs with pure arterial ulceration had angioplasty (n=13) or simple dressings alone (n=2). Ulceration due to lymphoedema (n=17), mixed lymphoedema and venous reflux (n=11) and other causes (n=50) were managed by compression, dressings or skin grafting. CONCLUSIONS: a standardised protocol of clinical and duplex assessment can lead to a diagnosis in 97% of chronic leg ulcers. Duplex is essential to confirm or exclude potentially correctable venous disease and allow tailored surgical intervention for those patients who many benefit.

Adult↗

Specific and transfer effects induced by arm or leg training.

The purpose of the present study was to examine both the specific and the transfer effects of a Square Wave Endurance Exercise Test (SWEET) and to investigate the determining factors of transfer effect. A control group (CG, n = 5) and 2 experimental groups were studied. Experimental groups completed 3 days/week a 45 min SWEET over 6 weeks, either with the arms using a wheelchair ergometer (AG, n = 5) or with the legs using a cycling ergometer (LG, n = 5). All subjects performed before and after training two maximal progressive tests: the first one with the arms and the second with the legs. During those tests oxygen uptake (VO(2)) and cardiorespiratory parameters were continuously measured. Specific effects (changes between the tests performed with trained limbs) were observed: the peak power output (W(p)) and VO(2) were significantly increased by both arm (+ 66 %, + 35 %) and leg (+ 17 %, + 14 %) training. At ventilatory threshold (VT), power output (W) and VO(2) were significantly increased with arm (+ 145 % and + 51 %) and leg (+ 53 % and + 46 %) training. Transfer effects (changes between pre and post tests performed with untrained limbs) were observed: W(p) and VO(2) were not increased in AG while W(p) was increased in LG (+ 11 %). At VT, W and VO(2) were increased with arm (+ 19 % and + 23 %) and leg (+ 33 % and + 46 %) training. For AG and LG the VO(2) expressed in percent of the VO(2) peak was increased (+ 19 % and + 33 %, respectively) and the O(2p) was also increased (+ 30 %) for LG. These results show that SWEET training induced specific and transfer effects. Moreover, the initial level of the subjects, the type and the intensity of the training seem to be the major factors for effective observable transfer effects.

Adolescent↗

Effect of acute hypoxia on maximal oxygen uptake and maximal performance during leg and upper-body exercise in Nordic combined skiers.

We examined the effect of normobaric hypoxia (3200 m) on maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and maximal power output (Pmax) during leg and upper-body exercise to identify functional and structural correlates of the variability in the decrement of VO2max (DeltaVO2max) and of maximal power output (DeltaPmax). Seven well trained male Nordic combined skiers performed incremental exercise tests to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer (leg exercise) and on a custom built doublepoling ergometer for cross-country skiing (upper-body exercise). Tests were carried out in normoxia (560 m) and normobaric hypoxia (3200 m); biopsies were taken from m. deltoideus. DeltaVO2max was not significantly different between leg (-9.1+/-4.9%) and upper-body exercise (-7.9+/-5.8%). By contrast, Pmax was significantly more reduced during leg exercise (-17.3+/-3.3%) than during upper-body exercise (-9.6+/-6.4%, p<0.05). Correlation analysis did not reveal any significant relationship between leg and upper-body exercise neither for DeltaVO2max nor for DeltaPmax. Furthermore, no relationship was observed between individual DeltaVO2max and DeltaPmax. Analysis of structural data of m. deltoideus revealed a significant correlation between capillary density and DeltaPmax (R=-0.80, p=0.03), as well as between volume density of mitochondria and DeltaPmax (R=-0.75, p=0.05). In conclusion, it seems that VO2max and Pmax are differently affected by hypoxia. The ability to tolerate hypoxia is a characteristic of the individual depending in part on the exercise mode. We present evidence that athletes with a high capillarity and a high muscular oxidative capacity are more sensitive to hypoxia.

Acute Disease↗

Distally-based free vascularized tissue grafts in the lower leg.

In the field of orthopaedic surgery, the lower leg is often treated by free vascularized tissue grafts. In performing these grafts for reconstruction of the lower leg, the anterior tibial artery and its venae comitantes are frequently selected as anastomosing recipient vessels. However, due to the deep location of the anterior tibial vessels, it is extremely difficult to accomplish antegrade microsurgical anastomoses between the donor vessels and the anterior tibial vessels. This technical difficulty often leads to the possibility of immediate postoperative arterial and venous occlusion. To resolve this problem, the idea of a reverse-flow island flap has been applied to the free vascularized tissue grafts for reconstruction of the lower leg, based on both artery and vein reconstructed with retrograde blood flow. To evaluate clinical outcomes of the procedure mentioned, the postoperative results of 14 patients were reviewed. The free vascularized grafts consisted of seven vascularized fibular grafts with peroneal flaps, six vascularized latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps, and one vascularized groin flap. Venous congestion of the flap was not observed and all flaps survived. Bone union was obtained in seven patients treated with vascularized fibular grafts. There were no serious postoperative complications. Distally-based free vascularized tissue grafts in the lower leg are useful procedures in reconstruction of massive bone defects and osteomyelitis of the tibia, and for skin defects on the anterior aspect of the lower leg.

Adolescent↗

Trauma metabolism and the heart: studies of heart and leg amino acid flux after cardiac surgery.

Flux of plasma amino acids was measured across the heart and the leg (reflecting mainly skeletal muscle) in 18 patients 1 hour after completion of aorto-coronary bypass surgery. There was a net loss of amino acids from the leg (-324.9 +/- 39 nmol/min/100 ml tissue) while amino acid flux across the heart was not statistically different from zero. There were however positive intertissue correlations between leg and myocardial flux of tyrosine and most other amino acids, suggesting that protein metabolism of both tissues were affected in the same catabolic direction by the trauma response. Alanine and glutamine accounted for 50% of the amino acid release from the leg, which is in accordance with observations in association with other types of trauma. Alanine and glutamine also dominated amino acid release from the heart. Glutamate and aspartate were taken up by both tissues. The principal difference between the tissues was a myocardial uptake of leucine and isoleucine, in contrast to a leg release.

Adult↗

Factors determining the preference of takeoff leg in jumping.

The takeoff (= push-off) leg in jumping, handedness, and leg length inequality as measured radiographically were recorded for 892 young healthy subjects, 62 of whom were top-level athletic jumpers, 654 competetive athletes representing other sports, and 176 Finnish Army conscripts. Correlation between the laterality of takeoff leg and handedness was poor, but a significant majority (81.4% of jumpers, 65.1% of other athletes, and 76.8% of conscripts) invariably used the longer leg for takeoff. Incidence of leg length inequality was highest in the group of athletic jumpers, the difference between top-level jumpers and runners being statistically significant.

Adolescent↗

Effect of hand-arm exercise on venous blood constituents during leg exercise.

To test the hypothesis that ancillary arm and hand exercise would change the values of antecubital blood constituents during leg exercise, seven healthy men (19-27 yrs) performed static (10% of a maximal voluntary contraction) or dynamic (60 finger flexions/min) hand-arm exercise with one hand during submaximal leg exercise (50% V2 max) in the supine position. Venous blood was analyzed for serum Na+, K+, osmolality, albumin, total Ca2+, and glucose; blood hemoglobin, hematocrit, and lactic acid; and change in plasma volume. During leg exercise there were no significant differences in these blood constituents between right and left arms at rest. Only glucose and lactate were affected by additional arm exercise. Compared with resting arm values during leg exercise, glucose decreased from 4.7 to 4.5 mmol/l (delta = 4%, P less than 0.05) and lactate increased from 2.0 to 2.4 mmol/l (delta = 20%, P less than 0.05) during static arm exercise. With dynamic arm exercise, glucose decreased from a resting level of 4.8 to 4.7 mmol/l (delta = 2%, P less than 0.05). We conclude that additional static or dynamic hand-forearm exercise accompanying leg exercise could introduce significant errors in glucose (2%-4%) and lactic acid (6%-20%) concentrations measured in venous blood.

Adult↗

Anaerobic threshold during arm and leg exercises and cardiorespiratory fitness tests in a group of male and female students.

The anaerobic threshold (AT) was determined in 19 female and 41 male physical education students (mean age 19 yrs) during incremental arm and leg exercise on a bicycle ergometer. After the first 4 min of zero load leg exercise, the work load was increased every minute by 30 W in the male group and by 15 W in the female group. During arm exercise the work increments were 15 W in the male and 10 W in the female subjects. The work was performed until exhaustion. The AT values determined from the nonlinear increase in pulmonary ventilation (VE) were 62.6 +/- 7.3 W and 109.3 +/- 17.4 W during arm exercise 136.6 +/- 22.8 W and 224.6 +/- 41.96 W during leg exercise in female and male subjects, respectively. The VE at AT for both types of exercise was more significant in the female than in the male group. It was also lower during arm than during leg exercise in both groups. The AT during leg exercise showed a high positive correlation with vital capacity (VC) (r = 0.52, P less than 0.001), maximal oxygen uptake (r = 0.38, P less than 0.05), PWC170 (r = 0.44, P less than 0.01), and heart rate at AT (r = 0.62, P less than 0.001) in the male group, and only with heart rate at AT (r = 0.52, P less than 0.05) in the female group. Similar correlations were obtained during arm exercise. It is suggested that the AT could be determined by monitoring the VE changes during progressive exercise and could serve as an index of cardiorespiratory performance capacity in young female and male subjects.

Adult↗