Minati Patnaik1, Sephali Acharya2, Amita Kumari Panigrahi3
BACKGROUND
Decrease in haemoglobin concentration in blood, with normal blood volume results
in lower VÌ?
O2max and endurance performance. This may be due to the reduction of
the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. Conversely, increase in haemoglobin
concentration is associated with increased VÌ?
O2max and endurance capacity.
Increase in endurance capacity is also proportional to the increase in the oxygen
carrying capacity of blood. Maximal aerobic capacity (VÌ?
O2max) is the maximum
capacity of individual’s body to transport and use oxygen during incremental
exercise which reflects physical fitness of that individual. Queen’s College Step
Test is a standard method to measure one’s maximal aerobic capacity using sub
maximal exercise in the form of bench stepping suitable for adults. The biological
significance of oxygen transport by haemoglobin is well illustrated in anaemia
where decreased haemoglobin also decreases exercise performance. The objective
of the study is to find out the correlation between haemoglobin concentration and
VÌ?
O2max by using Queen’s College Step Test.
METHODS
The study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, MKCG Medical College,
Berhampur. A total of 150 1st year MBBS students aged between 17 and 24 yrs.
were taken as subjects. Out of them 90 were males & 60 were females. Each
subject performed the exercise for 3 minutes by Queen’s College Step Test. VÌ?
O2max
was obtained by calculation. Haemoglobin concentration was measured by Acid
Haematin method in Sahli’s Haemoglobinometer.
RESULTS
There was a significant positive correlation between haemoglobin concentration
with VO2max in both males (r = 0.8618, P < 0.0001) and females (r = 0.5112, P
< 0.0001) subjects.
CONCLUSIONS
Increase in Haemoglobin concentration is an indicator of increased VÌ?
O2max; hence
persons with increased haemoglobin concentration may have increased exercise
capability in both male and female subjects.
