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·kg⁻¹ min⁻¹ (P