Anaerobic power output of young obese men: comparison with non-obese men and the role of excess fat.

Anaerobic power output was measured by the staircase climb test in 14 obese, 16 lean, and 21 ordinary men aged from 18--22 years. Fat storage rate (%fat) was estimated by densitometry. The obese group ranked highest with an average power output of 1,012 W. This value was significantly higher than those of the other two groups, 890 W for lean subjects and 855 W for ordinary subjects. The power output per kilogram of lean body mass of the obese group was the highest also. However, the vertical velocity was the lowest although the difference among the three average values was not statistically significant. To investigate the effect of excess fat, eight non-obese subjects engaged in an added-weight experiment. The value obtained was almost the same as for the obese group. The added weights made the vertical velocity decrease but the power output increase. Consequently, it was obvious that the excess fat of an obese man played a role only as an inert mass in the power output measurement. A significantly higher power output of the obese group might be due to more excess fat, and obesity itself was an advantage in the staircase climb test.