Validity of oxygen uptake cut-off criteria in plateau identification during horizontal treadmill running

Marsh, CE ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6262-7157 2018, 'Validity of oxygen uptake cut-off criteria in plateau identification during horizontal treadmill running' , Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 59 (1) , pp. 10-16.

Preview	PDF - Accepted Version Download (294kB) | Preview
	Microsoft Word - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (11MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

BACKGROUND: When determining achievement of maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) during treadmill running using speed increments, the VO₂ cut-off criteria applied during plateau identification is often not justified, not protocol specific, or not related to actual change in VO₂ (ΔVO₂) with speed increment, which can influence plateau achievement rates between studies. The purpose of this study was to compare plateau incidence using an individualised plateau criteria approach based on a ‘percentage’ ΔVO₂ compared to using previously established criteria of ΔVO₂≤2.1 ml-kg^-1⋅min^-1 not developed on running speed.
METHODS: Fifty-four males completed a ramp horizontal treadmill test with 0.5 or 1.0 km⋅h^-1 per minute (km⋅h^-1⋅min^-1) speed increments to measure VO₂max. Average ΔVO₂ for the each 1-minute speed increment was determined and used to develop individualised cut-off criteria deemed to be a plateau: a final ΔVO₂ of less than 50% of the average change elicited between consecutive speed increments during the test ( VO₂≤50%); plateau incidence using this was compared to ΔVO₂ ≤2.1 ml⋅kg^-1⋅min^-1 ( VO₂≤2.1).
RESULTS: Mean ΔVO₂ was 1.74±0.59 and 3.09±0.59 ml⋅kg^-1⋅ min^-1 for 0.5 and 1.0 km⋅ h^-1⋅ min^-1 increments respectively. VO₂ cut-off criteria were met by 48%/65% (1.0 km⋅h^-1⋅min^-1) (P=0.234) and 53%/100% (0.5 km⋅h^-1⋅ min^-1) (P=0.003) for VO₂≤50% and VO₂≤2.1 respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Use of VO₂≤2.1 resulted in distortedly high plateau achievement, particularly for smaller speed increments where the VO₂-speed relationship was actually less than VO₂≤2.1 making its use inappropriate. Use of VO₂≤50% may be a suitable alternative, but as a plateau was not consistently demonstrated, application of cut-off criteria should not be a requirement in deciding whether one’s achieved VO₂max.

KEYWORDS: VO₂-speed relationship - VO₂ plateau - VO₂ cut-off criteria - Horizontal treadmill running

Item Type:	Article
Schools:	Schools > School of Health Sciences
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
Publisher:	Edizione Minerva Medica
ISSN:	0022-4707
Related URLs:	Publication
Depositing User:	CE Marsh
Date Deposited:	26 Feb 2018 14:07
Last Modified:	15 Feb 2022 22:54
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/46142

Actions (login required)

Edit record (repository staff only)