Abstract

The aim of this research was to establish the nutritional and cardio-respiratory condition of university students from two important universities of Chile: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV) and Universidad de Concepción (UdeC). The nutritional and cardio-respiratory condition were evaluated through body mass index (BMI) and the Vo2max in the 2000 meter walk (UKK) test, respectively. The BMI results of the PUCV showed 78,1% of students classified as normal (18,5- 24,9 kg/mt2), and the Vo2max showed that 28% of females were in the regular category (25- 30 ml.kg-1.min-1). A 34,1% of males were in the normal category (43- 52 ml.kg-1.min-1). In the UdeC the female and male normal level was 79,2%. The Vo2max Index for male and females responders was in the acceptable category of 44, 3% and 40, 0% (31- 37 and 34- 42 ml.kg-1.min-1), respectively. The correlation between the nutritional and cardio-respiratory condition established that there is a negative lineal relationship with base R- Pearson -0,263 (PUCV) and -0,386 (UdeC), which indicates that as BMI increases the Vo2max increases.