Relationship between maximum aerobic power and resting metabolic rate in young adult women

D. A. Smith 1 , J. Dollman 1 , R. T. Withers 1 , M. Brinkman 2 , J. P. Keeves 1 , and D. G. Clark 2 1 Exercise Physiology Laboratory, School of Education, The Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide 5042; and 2 Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Division of Human Nutrition, CSIRO Australia, Adelaide 5000, South Australia Received 26 April 1995; accepted in final form 26 August 1996. Smith, D. A., J. Dollman, R. T. Withers, M. Brinkman, J. P. Keeves, and D. G. Clark. Relationship between maximum aerobic power and resting metabolic rate in young adult women. J. Appl. Physiol. 82(1): 156-163, 1997. The literature is inconclusive as to the chronic effect of aerobic exercise on resting metabolic rate (RMR), and furthermore there is a scarcity of data on young women. Thirty-four young women exhibiting a wide range of aerobic fitness [maximum aerobic power ( O 2 max ) = 32.3-64.8 ml · kg 1 · min 1 ] were accordingly measured for RMR by the Douglas bag method, treadmill O 2 max , and fat-free mass (FFM) by using Siri's three-compartment model. The interclass correlation ( n = 34) between RMR (kJ/h) and O 2 max (ml · kg 1 · min 1 ) was significant ( r = 0.39, P