@article{ART003354715},
author={Hyun-Tae OK and Sohn, Hyun-joon},
title={Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses},
journal={Anatomy & Biological Anthropology},
issn={2671-5651},
year={2026},
volume={39},
number={2},
pages={167-175},
doi={10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167}
TY - JOUR
AU - Hyun-Tae OK
AU - Sohn, Hyun-joon
TI - Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses
JO - Anatomy & Biological Anthropology
PY - 2026
VL - 39
IS - 2
PB - 대한체질인류학회
SP - 167
EP - 175
SN - 2671-5651
AB - This study aimed to investigate sex differences in treadmill-based total workload, maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max), and cardiorespiratory fitness responses, and to evaluate the association between total workload and VO 2 max from an anatomical and physiological perspective. Sixteen healthy adults (8 males and 8 females) participated in graded exercise testing using the Modified Bruce protocol. Exercise duration, speed, incline, heart rate, and directly measured VO 2 max were obtained during treadmill testing. Total workload was calculated by integrating body weight, exercise speed, incline, and exercise duration. Independent t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, ANCOVA, and Cohen’s d effect size analysis were performed. Additional Spearman correlation and sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the findings. Males demonstrated significantly higher VO 2 max and METs than females (p<.001). Mean VO 2 max was 46.69±4.89 mL/kg/min in males and 35.89±2.28 mL/kg/min in females. Exercise duration and total workload were also higher in males; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance (p = .058 and p = .077, respectively). Effect size analysis revealed very large effects for VO 2 max (d = 2.80) and METs (d = 3.20), and a large effect for total workload (d = 0.92). A strong positive correlation was observed between total workload and VO 2 max (r = .86, p<.001), which remained consistent across Spearman correlation and sensitivity analyses. The present findings suggest that sexrelated differences in cardiorespiratory fitness may be associated with underlying morphological and physiological characteristics, including skeletal muscle mass, cardiac size, and oxygen transport capacity. In addition, total workload demonstrated a strong association with VO 2 max, indicating its potential usefulness as a workloadbased indicator of exercise performance. Although this exploratory pilot study was limited by a small sample size, the findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the relationship between morphological characteristics and functional exercise responses and may serve as a foundation for future investigations of workload-based cardiorespiratory fitness assessment.
KW - Cardiorespiratory fitness;VO 2 max;Total workload;Sex differences;Sexual dimorphism;Treadmill exercise
DO - 10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167
ER -
Hyun-Tae OK and Sohn, Hyun-joon. (2026). Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses. Anatomy & Biological Anthropology, 39(2), 167-175.
Hyun-Tae OK and Sohn, Hyun-joon. 2026, "Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses", Anatomy & Biological Anthropology, vol.39, no.2 pp.167-175. Available from: doi:10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167
Hyun-Tae OK, Sohn, Hyun-joon "Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses" Anatomy & Biological Anthropology 39.2 pp.167-175 (2026) : 167.
Hyun-Tae OK, Sohn, Hyun-joon. Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses. 2026; 39(2), 167-175. Available from: doi:10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167
Hyun-Tae OK and Sohn, Hyun-joon. "Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses" Anatomy & Biological Anthropology 39, no.2 (2026) : 167-175.doi: 10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167
Hyun-Tae OK; Sohn, Hyun-joon. Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses. Anatomy & Biological Anthropology, 39(2), 167-175. doi: 10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167
Hyun-Tae OK; Sohn, Hyun-joon. Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses. Anatomy & Biological Anthropology. 2026; 39(2) 167-175. doi: 10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167
Hyun-Tae OK, Sohn, Hyun-joon. Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses. 2026; 39(2), 167-175. Available from: doi:10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167
Hyun-Tae OK and Sohn, Hyun-joon. "Sex Differences in Treadmill-Based Total Workload and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Responses" Anatomy & Biological Anthropology 39, no.2 (2026) : 167-175.doi: 10.11637/aba.2026.39.2.167
