Maximum Oxygen Consumption Determined by the Bruce and Inclined Treadmill Protocols

  • Kim, Kyu-Hwa (Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Kim, Hyeong-Jin (Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Kim, Kyoung-Soon (Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University)
  • Published : 1993.12.01

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to derive regression equations for $\dot{V}o_{2max}\;vs.\;\dot{V}o_{2peak},\;and\;\dot{V}o_2\;vs.$ heart rate, exercise time, and other variables from maximal exercise tests on a treadmill using the Bruce and inclined protocols. Twelve male and 10 female Korean college students aged between 19 and 23 years voIunteered for this study. After the resting measurements, the subjects performed a maximal exercise on a treadmill according to the Bruce protocol. When the resting conditions were restored, the subjects performed another maximal exercise according to an inclined protocol where the speed was fixed at 8.05 $km{\cdot}h^{-1}$ and the grade was incremented starting from 09t by 2.5% for every 2 min. Peak $\dot{V}o_2$ observed during the Bruce exercise $(\dot{V}o_{2peak})$ was $37.7{\pm}2.4\;and\;31.7{\pm}1.8\;ml\;kg^{-1}\;min^{-1}$ in the male and female groups, respectively. Peak $\dot{V}o_2$ observed during the inclined exercise was higher than $\dot{V}o_{2peak}$ during the Bruce exercise. Maximum $\dot{V}o_2$ value observed during the tyro exercises $(\dot{V}o_{2max})$ was $43.0{\pm}2.8\;and\;36.2{\pm}1.4\;ml\;kg^{-1}\;min^{-1}$ in the male and female groups, respectively. Thus, $\dot{V}o_{2peak}$ by the Bruce protocol was about 12% (male) or 13% (female) lower than $\dot{V}o_{2max}$, and a linear relationship was found between $\dot{V}o_{2peak}$ and $\dot{V}o_{2max}$. The peak values of % $\dot{V}o_{max}$ with the Bruce protocol were $89.2{\pm}3.3\;and\;87.5{\pm}3.6%$ and those with the inclined protocol $97.7{\pm}1.8\;and\;96.9{\pm}2.0%$ in the male and female groups, respectively. In the female group, $%\dot{V}o_{2max}$ at a given workload was higher than in the male group, while $\dot{V}o_{2}$ per kg body weight was the same. Maximum HR observed during the two exercises was $204{\pm}2\;and\;195{\pm}3\;beat\;min^{-1}$ in the male and female groups, respectively. Linear relationships were found, excluding the last points, between 1) $\dot{V}o_{2}$ and exercise time, 2) $\dot{V}o_{2}$ and $%\dot{V}o_{2max}\;and\;%HR_{max}$.

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