Measuring Aerobic Fitness of Hispanic Youth 10 to 12 years of Age

Obesity is a major health problem in the U.S., especially for Hispanic youth. Because maximal/peak oxygen consumption (V.O (2)peak) is one predictor of future weight gain in children, valid field-based methods for determining V.O (2)peak in Hispanic children are needed. The purpose of this study was to validate a field-based aerobic fitness test, the 20-m shuttle test (20-MST), in Hispanic boys (n = 58) and girls (n = 67), 10 - 12 years old (mean age +/- SD, 10.7 +/- 0.6 y). Measured V.O (2)peak was determined during a maximal, graded treadmill test using the Bruce protocol. The 20-MST was administered per a standard protocol. Maximal speed attained on the 20-MST and age were used to estimate V.O (2)peak. An intraclass coefficient of 0.82 was obtained on 35 students (16 boys; r = 0.85 and 19 girls; r = 0.79) who completed the 20-MST twice, 1-wk apart. Estimated (44.3 ml x kg (-1) x min (-1) ) and measured (45.1 ml x kg (-1) x min (-1)) V.O (2)peak were not significantly different (p = 0.33). The correlation between the two V.O (2)peak parameters was r = 0.62; p < 0.001, the standard error of the estimate (SEE) was 3.91 ml x kg (-1) x min (-1), and 85.5 % of the measured V.O (2)peak values fell within 5.9 ml x kg (-1) x min (-1) of estimated V.O (2)peak. The weight status of the child did not significantly change these results. The 20-MST combined with the Leger et al. equation is a valid method for predicting V.O (2)peak in Hispanic youth. The test can be used to provide valuable information for intervention design and disease prevention.