Abstract

BACKGROUND
A number of studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic syndrome. However, whether the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is dependent on the number of metabolic components or on particular metabolic component remains to be assessed. METHODS: A total of 1,432 Korean subjects were studied. Each individual was assessed for the presence of metabolic syndrome using the modified NCEP-ATP III criteria. All subjects underwent a graded symptom-limited maximal exercise test to determine their VO2max, using a treadmill according to the Bruce protocol. RESULTS: The age-adjusted prevalence of metabolic syndrome in all subjects was 20.4%. The odds ratios for metabolic syndrome were higher in men, the elderly, the obese and those with a lower VO2max. The difference in the VO2max was dependent only on the presence of metabolic syndrome, not on the number of components. CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in the VO2max according to the presence of particular metabolic components. These results suggest that the VO2max reflects the metabolic syndrome state, rather than the metabolic components, and might be a factor in determining metabolic syndrome

• Keywords: Metabolic syndrome X;Oxygen consumption;Exercise test