Familial patterns of maximal aerobic power

Inter-class correlations and contingency table analysis were used to evaluate maximal aerobic power (V̇O₂max) similarities within 21 biological families. A moderate correlation (r=0.64; P<0.05) existed among father and son pairs. A weaker relationship (r=0.24; P<0.05) was observed between parents and child or children while controlling for body fat. Contingency table revealed a higher than expected proportion of "high" V̇O₂max rankings in children (67%; P<0.05). The results suggest that familial aggregation of V̇O₂max was only modest and was highest for father- son pairs. The increased similarity between father and son suggest that the influence of the father via non-genetic factors plays a significant role in determining aerobic power in boys in this age group.