Abstract
Short-term maximum intensity performance, absolute and related to body mass, is lower in children than adolescents. The underlying mechanisms are not clear. We analysed Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) performance and metabolism in ten boys (mean (SD); age 11.8 (0.5) years, height 1.51 (0.05) m, body mass 36.9 (2.5) kg, muscle mass 13.0 (1.0) kg) and 10 adolescents (16.3 (0.7) years, 1.81 (0.05) m, 67.3 (4.1) kg, 28.2 (1.7) kg). Related to body mass, power of flywheel acceleration (6.0 (1.6) vs. 8.1 (1.1) W kg−1), peak power (10.8 (0.7) vs. 11.5 (0.6) W kg−1), average power (7.9 (0.5) vs. 8.9 (0.7) W kg−1), minimum power (6.1 (0.7) vs. 6.9 (0.9) W kg−1) and anaerobic lactic energy (687.6 (75.6) vs. 798.2 (43.0) J kg−1) were lower (P < 0.05) in boys than in adolescents. Related to muscle mass the change in lactate (0.69 (0.08) vs. 0.69 (0.04) mmol kg −1MM s−1) and PCr (0.60 (0.17) vs. 0.52 (0.10) mmol kg −1MM s−1) were not different. The corresponding oxygen uptake (1.34 (0.13) vs. 1.09 (0.13) ml kg −1MM s−1), total metabolic rate (132.4 (12.6) vs. 119.7 (8.5) W kg −1MM ) and PP (30.5 (2.6) vs. 27.5 (1.7 W) kg −1MM ) were higher (P < 0.01) in boys than in adolescents. The results reflect a lower relative muscle mass combined with no differences in muscular anaerobic but fascilitated aerobic metabolism in boys. Compared with adolescents, boys’ performance seemed to be significantly impaired by flywheel inertia but supported by identical brake force related to body mass.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Belanger AY, McComas AJ (1989) Contractile properties of human skeletal muscle in childhood and adoloscence. Eur J Appl Physiol 58:563–567
Bell RD, Mac Doughall JD, Billeter R, Howald H (1980) Muscle fiber types and morphometric analysis of skeletal muscle in 6 year old children. Med Sci Sports Exerc 12(1):28–31
Beneke R, Pollmann Ch, Bleif I, Leithäuser RM, Hütler M (2002) How anaerobic is the wingate anaerobic test for humans? Eur J Appl Physiol 87:388–392
Beneke R, Hütler M, Jung M, Leithäuser RM (2005) Modeling the blood lactate kinetics at maximal short-term exercise conditions in children, adolescents and adults. J Appl Physiol 99:499–504
Berg A, Kim SS, Keul J (1986) Skeletal muscle enzyme activities in healthy young subjects. Int J Sports Med 7(4):236–239
Brooke MH, WK Engel (1969) The histographic analysis of human muscle biopsies with regard to fiber types: children´s biopsies. Neurology 19:591–605
Bouchard C, Thibault MC (1977) Jugend und Sport. Dtsch Z Sportmed 28:206–220
Carlson JS, Naughton GA (1994) Performance characteristics of children using various braking resistances on the Wingate anaerobic test. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 34:362–369
Cooper DM (1995) New horizons in pediatric exercise research. In: Blimkie CR, Bar-Or (eds) New horizons in pediatric exercise science. Human Kinetics, Champaign, pp 1–24
di Prampero PE (1981) Energetics of muscular exercise. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 89:144–222
Donovan CM, Brooks GA (1983) Endurance training affects lactate clearance, not lactate production. Am J Physiol 244:E83–E92
Dore E, Bedu M, Franca NM, Diallo O, Duche P, V Praagh E (2000) Testing peak performance: effects of braking force during growth. Med Sci Sports Exerc 32(2):493–498
Dotan R, Bar-Or O (1983) Load optimisation for the Wingate anaerobic test. Eur J Appl Physiol 51:409–417
Elder GCB, Kakular BA (1993) Histochemical and contractile property changes during human development. Muscle Nerve 16:1246–1253
Eriksson BO, Karlsson J, Saltin B (1971) Muscle metabolites during exercise in pubertal boys. Acta Paediatr Scand 217:154–207
Falgairette G, Bedu M, Fellmann N, van Praagh E, Coudert J (1991) Bioenergetic profile in 144 boys aged from 6 to 15 years with special reference to sexual maturation. Eur J Appl Physiol 62:151–156
Falk B, Bar Or O (1993) Longitudinal changes in peak aerobic and anaerobic mechanical power of circumpubertal boys. Ped Ex Sci 5:318–331
Fournier M, Ricca J, Taylor AW, Ferguson RJ, Montpetit RR, Chaitman (1982) Skeletal muscle adaptation in adolescent boys: sprint and endurance training and detraining. Med Sci Sports Exerc 14(6):453–456
Gastin PB (2001) Energy system interaction and relative contribution during maximal exercise. Sports Med 13 (10):725–741
Gaul CA, Docherty D, Cicchini R (1995) Differences in anaerobic performance between boys and men. Int J Sports Med 16 (7):451–455
Hebestreit H, Mimura KI, Bar-Or O (1993) Recovery of muscle power after high-intensity short-term exercise: comparing boys and men. J Appl Physiol 74:2875–2880
Hebestreit H, Meyer F, Heigenhauser GJ, Bar-Or O (1996) Plasma metabolites, volume and electrolytes following 30-s high-intensity exercise in boys and men. Eur J Appl Physiol 72(5–6):563–569
Hebestreit H, Kriemler S, Hughson RL, Bar-Or O (1998) Kinetics of oxygen uptake at the onset of exercise in boys and men. J Appl Physiol 85 (5):1833–1841
Heller J, Bunc V, Peric T (1998) Anaerobic performance in young adult ice hockey players. In: Jeschke D, Lorenz R (eds) Sportartspezifische Leistungsdiagnostik. Energetische Aspekte. Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft. Köln, pp 217–222
Inbar O, Bar-Or O (1986) Anaerobic characteristics in male children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc 18:264–269
Inbar O, Bar-Or O, Skinner JS (1996) The Wingate anaerobic test. Human Kinetics, Champaign, pp 1–95
Kindermann W, Huber G, Keul J (1975) Anaerobe Kapazität bei Kindern und Jugendlichen in Beziehung zum Erwachsenen. Sportarzt Sportmed 6:112–115
Kohler G, Boutellier U (2005) The generalized force–velocity relationship explains why the preferred pedalling rate of cyclists exceeds the most efficient one. Eur J Appl Physiol 94:188–195
Knuttgen HG (1970) Oxygen debt after submaximal physical exercise. J Appl Physiol 29:651–657
Kuno S, Takahashi H, Fujimoto K, Akima H, Miyamaru M, Nemoto I (1995) Muscle metabolism during exercise using phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in adolescents. Eur J Appl Physiol 70:301–304
Lakomy HKA (1986) Measurement of work and power output using friction-loades cycle ergometer. Ergonomics 29:509–517
Lexell J, Sjoström M, Nordlund AS (1992) Growth development of human muscle: a quantitative morphological study of whole vastus lateralis from childhood to adult age. Muscle Nerve 15:404–409
Macek M, Vavra J (1980) The adjustment of oxygen uptake at the onset of exercise: a comparison between prepubertal boys and young adults. Int J Sports Med 1:70–72
Malina RM, Bouchard C (2004) Growth, maturation, and physical activity. Human Kinetics, Champaign
Mercier B, Mercier J, Granier P, LeGallais D, Prefaut Ch (1992) Maximal anaerobic power: relationship to anthropometric characteristics during growth. Int J Sports Med 13(1):21–26
Mero A (1988) Blood lactate production and recovery from anaerobic exercise in trained and untrained boys. Eur J Appl Physiol 57:660–666
Micklewright D, Alkhatib A, Beneke R (2006) Mechanically vs. electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer—performance and energy cost of the Wingate anaerobic test. Eur J Appl Physiol 96(6):748–751
Oertel G (1988) Morphometric analysis of normal skeletal muscles in infancy, childhood and adolescence: an autopsy study. J Neurol Sci 88:303–313
Paterson DH, Cunningham DA, Bumstead LA (1986) Recovery O2 and blood lactic acid: longitudinal analysis in boys aged 11 to 15 years. Eur J Appl Physiol 55:93–99
Petersen SR, Gaul CA, Stanton MM, Hanstock CC (1999) Skeletal muscle metabolism during short-term high-intensity exercise in prepubertal and pubertal girls. J Appl Physiol 87 (6):2151–2156
Roberts AD, Morton AR (1978) Total and alactic oxygen debts after supramaximal work. Eur J Appl Physiol 38:281–289
Robinson S (1938) Experimental studies of physical fitness in relation to age. Int Z Angew Physiol Arbeitsphysiol 10:251–323
Serresse O, Lortie G, Bouchard C, Boulay MR (1988) Estimation of the contribution of the various energy systems during maximal work of short duration. Int J Sports Med 9(6):456–460
Spriet LL (1995) Anaerobic metabolism during high-intensity exercise. In: Hargreaves M (ed) Exercise metabolism. Human Kinetics, Champaign, pp 1–39
Stegemann J (1991) Leistungsphysiologie. Thieme Verlag. Stuttgart, New York, pp 57–59
Van Praagh E, Dore E (2002) Short-term muscle power during growth and maturation. Sports Med 32 (11):701–728
Van Praagh E, Fellmann N, Bedu M, Falgairette G, Coudert J (1990) Gender difference in the relationship of anaerobic power output to body composition in children. Pediatr Exerc Sci 2:336–348
Vogler C, Bove KE (1985) Morphology of skeletal muscles in children. Arch Pathol Lab Med 109:238–242
Zanconato S, Cooper DM, Armon Y (1991) Oxygen cost and oxygen uptake dynamics and recovery with 1 min of exercise in children and adults. J Appl Physiol 71:993–998
Zanconato S, Buchthal S, Barstow TJ, Cooper DM (1993) 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy of leg muscle metabolism during exercise in children and adults. J Appl Physiol 74(5):2214–2218
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of M. Jung in subject recruitment and data collection.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Beneke, R., Hütler, M. & Leithäuser, R.M. Anaerobic performance and metabolism in boys and male adolescents. Eur J Appl Physiol 101, 671–677 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0546-0
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0546-0