One hundred healthy subjects (50 male and 50 female), selected to provide an even distribution of age (15 to 71 yr) and height (165 to 194 cm in males and 152 to 176 cm in females), underwent a progressively incremental (100 kpm/min each min) exercise test to a symptom-limited maximum. Measurements were made of O2 intake and CO2 output, ventilation and breathing pattern, heart rate and blood pressure, and rating of perceived exertion. The ventilatory anaerobic threshold was identified. Predictive data were derived for measurements at maximal and submaximal exercise. Maximal power output (Wmax) and oxygen intake (VO2max) varied with sex (0, male; 1, female), age (yr), and height (Ht, cm): Wmax = 20.4 (Ht) - 8.74 (Age) - 288 (Sex) - 1,909 kpm/min (SEE, 216; r, 0.858); VO2max = 0.046 (Ht) - 0.021 (Age) - 0.62 (Sex) - 4.31 L/min (SEE, 0.458; r, 0.869). The extent of leisure time activity exerted a positive influence on VO2max (r, 0.47; p less than 0.001); VO2max was also related to lean thigh volume (r, 0.79). Maximal heart rate (HR) declined as a function of age: HRmax = 202 - 0.72 (Age) beats/min (SEE, 10.3; r, 0.72). Maximal O2 pulse (O2Pmax) was related to height and was systematically higher in males than in females: O2Pmax = 0.28 (Ht) - 3.3 (Sex) - 26.7 ml/beat (SEE, 2.8; r, 0.86). Ventilation was closely related to CO2 output, and the maximal tidal volume was related to vital capacity. The VO2 increased linearly with power throughout the test; in an individual subject, the intercept of this relationship was positively influenced by weight and height.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)