Familial patterns of maximal aerobic power

Inter-class correlations and contingency table analysis were used to evaluate maximal aerobic power (VO(2)max) similarities within 21 biological families. A moderate correlation (r = 0.64; P < .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'' VO(2)max rankings in children (67%; P < 0.05). The results suggest that familial aggregation of io,max 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.