Effects of exercise training on aerobic fitness in African-American females.

Physical inactivity, a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is more prevalent within the African-American population. Unfortunately, only a few investigators have documented the effects of exercise training studies on cardiovascular fitness in this cohort. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a six-week endurance exercise training program on aerobic fitness (VO2peak) in African-American females. Twenty-five women (16 treatment, 9 controls, mean age 23.1+/-3.9) participated in the study. The six-week exercise training protocol consisted of exercising three times a week on a cycle ergometer between 60-70% VO2peak for 20 minutes. No significant changes in aerobic fitness were observed in the control group. However, the relative and absolute VO2peak significantly increased by 18% and 19%, respectively, in the treatment group, 21.7+/-2.6 to 25.6+/-2.8 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) (P<.01) and 1.77+/-2.7 to 2.11+/-3.8 L x min(-1) (P<.01). The maximal heart rates and respiratory exchange ratios were not significantly different between pre- and post-training, suggesting that similar efforts were given. These results document the fact that significant increases in aerobic fitness are possible with a moderate exercise training regime in an African-American female population.