In this study, we assessed the ventilatory response in 84 children (46 males: age 8.1 +/- 1.0 years, body mass 34.2 +/- 7.9 kg, height 1.32 +/- 0.16 m; 38 females: age 8.0 +/- 0.8 years, body mass 31.7 +/- 8.7 kg, height 1.31 +/- 0.08 m) during a cycle ergometer test to determine if there was an influence of gender on ventilatory efficiency. The test commenced at 25 W and increased by 10 W every minute. Expired air was collected through a face mask and analysed breath by breath. The ventilatory anaerobic threshold was determined according to gas exchange methods and we focused our attention on the analysis of carbon dioxide production (VCO(2)), ventilation (V(E)), the ratio V(E)/VCO(2) and its slope. Differences between the sexes at maximal power output were strongly significant for V(E) and VCO(2) (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0004 respectively) and moderately significant for the V(E)/VCO(2) ratio (P = 0.05). The slope of V(E) versus VCO(2) was 30.8 +/- 4.2 for males and 29.4 +/- 3.2 for females, with no difference between the sexes (P = 0.1). In conclusion, although the peak values of V(E) and VCO(2) were significantly different between the sexes, there were no such differences in ventilatory efficiency during a maximal incremental test expressed as the slope of V(E)/VCO(2), at least in young children.