The purpose of this study was to compare the self-estimation and ideal figure of one's body between Japanese and Caucasian female students. A questionnaire was employed to examine three areas of inquiry : Language, Numerical value, and Model figure. The subjects were chosen from the following sources: Fifty seven Japanese female students (JF-group : BMI 20.9±1.9 kg/m²) and 53 male students (JM-group : 21.4±3.0kg/m²), and 28 Caucasian female students (CF-group : 23.1±3.3 kg/m²) and 26 male students (CM-group : 22.7±3.2 kg/m²) . The proportion of those who consi dered themselves as“fat”were as follows : JF-group at 75.4% and CF-group at 32.1% (X²=16.182, p<0.01) . The proportion of subjects considering the ideal figure as“slim”were as follows: JF-group at 91.2% and CF-group at 46.4% (X²=28.973, p<0.001) . However many subjects in the JM-group and CM-group selected“slightly slim”or“average”as the ideal figure for a woman. From BMI analysis, which calculates ideal body weight with the subjects' actual standing height, it was discovered that the JF-group averaged 18.7±1.3 kg/m². This was a significantly lower level than 20.6±1.7 kg/m₂ for the CF-group (p<0.001) . The value for the JF-group was almost the same as the JM-group (18.9±1.3kg/m²) . There was no difference in the BMI of the selected model as each group's physical self-perception, although there was significant difference between the actual body figure of the JF-group and CF-group. Using the BMI of the selected model as the ideal figure, the JF-group and CF-group averaged 18.4±1.1 kg/m and 19.6±1.5kg/m² (p<0.01) . After controll ing for the actual BMI of the JF-group (BMI≥22.0 kg/m²) and CF-group, these tendencies did not change. Based on these findings, it was concluded that Japanese female students consider themselves far fatter than they actually are, and expressed a wish to become slimmer despite already being slim. Also, there are differences between females and males as to their images of the ideal body figure. Male students prefer fatter women than what Japanese female students imagine is the ideal figure.

Subjects evaluated by percentage body fat as obese, even though they are normal evaluated by BMI (calculated by height and weight), have recently come to be referred to as‘masked obesity’cases. The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics of anthropometry and physical fitness between controls (20≤BMI<24, percent fat: men<20%, women<30%) and masked obesity (20≤BMI<24, percent fat: men≥20%, women≥30%) cases among young men and women. Subjects included 1985 unversity students among which 1278 were men (age 18.7 ± 0.9 yr) and 707 were women (age 18.6± 1.1 yr) . They performed anthropometry and physical fitness tests. Percentage body fat was calculated from the skinfold thickness of triceps and subscapula. Masked obesity showed up in 5.4% (69 persons) of men and 13.6% (96 persons) of women. The percentage of women with masked obesity was about 2.5 times higher than men. Furthermore, the percentage of masked obesity cases among obese subjects was 30.4% (69/227 persons) of men, and 66.2% (96/145 persons) of women. This value of women was about 2.2 times higher than men. Comparisons of values of control subjects and masked obese subjects were carried out in each BMI group (above 20, BMI 20-group ; above 21, BMI 21-group ; above 22, BMI 22-group; above 23, BMI 23-group) of men and women respectively. For anthropometry in women, the waist and waist-hip ratio of masked obesity cases of the BMI 21 and 22-groups were significantly higher than those of the controls. However the same trend was not found in men. For physical fitness in men, back strength of masked obesity cases in the BMI 20 and 23-groups, and 50 m dash in the BMI 20, 21, 23-groups were inferior to those of the controls. However the same trend was not found in women. These results suggest that masked obesity in women existed 2.5 times more often in men, and women have larger waists and men were inferior in muscle strength and power in comparison with non-obese subjects.

A study was conducted to examine the efficacy of indicators of anaerobic work capacity or estimations of anaerobic energy expenditure by measuring Δ blood lactate and O₂ debt after short-term maximal exercise. Eight male subjects performed cycle ergometer pedaling against 5.5-7.0 kp resistance with maximal effort for 45 s. After pedaling, venous blood samples were drawn serially at 1 min intervals from 1 to 10 min, for measurement of peak blood lactate. Anaerobic energy expenditure was determined in terms of both alactacid and lactacid energy expenditure, on the basis of Δ blood lactate (L-method) and O2 uptake kinetics (D-method) during recovery.
The following results were obtained:
1) The correlation coefficient between lactate and performance was higher (about 0.3-0.5) when lactate was expressed as the estimated value of lactate production rather than Δ blood lactate. A significant relationship (r=0.740, p<0.05) was found between lactate production and peak power.
2) When O₂ uptake after recovery for 60 min did not recover to the baseline of O₂ uptake at rest, O₂ debt was calculated using a baseline of O₂ uptake just before the end of recovery. This O₂ debt was significantly correlated with work at any time of recovery.
3) There was a significant relationship between lactate production and lactic O₂ debt, which was significantly correlated with work.
4) When lactacid energy was calculated using a formula of 1.7×Δ blood lactate and 0.3 kcal/g lactate, there was no significant difference between anaerobic energy expenditure calculated by the L- and D-methods for up to 30 min during recovery.
It was concluded that a) the estimated value of lactate production and O₂ debt calculated using a baseline of O₂ uptake just before the end of recovery could be employed as an indicator of anaerobic work capacity, and b) Δ La multiplied by a coefficient of 1.7 and 0.3 kcal/g lactate was more appropriate for estimating anaerobic expenditure in short-term maximal cycle ergometer pedaling.

The effects of 6 weeks (5 days/week) of endurance training under hyperoxia (60% O₂ plus 40% N₂) on carbohydrate and fat metabolism were studied in 42 male rats. The rats were divided into four groups ; normoxia control (NC, n=8), hyperoxia control (HC, n=9), normoxia training (NT, n=12), and hyperoxia training (HT, n=13) . NT and HT groups were made to run on a treadmill in a metabolic chamber at a speed of 20 m/min for 30 min. The metabolic chamber was perfused with hyperoxic gas. VCO₂ values at rest (HC) and during exercise (HT) under hyperoxia were significantly lower (p<0.01) than VCO₂ values at rest (NC) and during exercise (NT) under normoxia, respectively. These results appear to indicate that a decreased respiratory exchange ratio was induced by hyperoxia. The results showed that at 15 min after the last training there were no differences between NT and HT in the glycogen or triglyceride content of the liver, heart, m, gastrocnemius, and m. soleus. However, blood glucose at 15 min in NT (109±13 mg/dl) was significantly lower (p<0.05) than the corresponding value at 15 min in HT (133±11 mg/dl) and at 48 h after the last training in NT (149±7 mg/dl) . The glycogen content of the liver in HC (36.4±2.6 mg/g wet wt) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than the corresponding value in NC (26.1±1.9 mg/g wet wt) . In the HT group, the triglyceride content of the liver at 48 h was lower (p<0.01) than the corresponding value at 15 min. However, the triglyceride content of the heart at 48 h in HT was significantly higher (p<0.05) than the value at 15 min. Basal lipolysis in HC was significantly higher than the corresponding values in NC, NT and HT, but there were no differences among the groups in norepinephrine-induced lipolysis. These results indicate that endurance training under hyperoxia might alter the content of tissue glycogen and triglyceride as a result of decreased carbohydrate consumption and increased fat utilization during fasting and/or exercise.