Prediction of ??VO2peak from submaximal cycle ergometry using 50 versus 80 rpm

Abstract

Submaximal cycle ergometry is routinely used for the prediction of mode specific maximal oxygen consumption (VO2peak). Such testing is almost universally performed at a cycling cadence of 50 rpm despite the finding that a cadence of approximately 80 rpm yields greater economy of effort among individuals with cycling experience. We sought to determine if 50 or 80 rpm were superior cadences for predicting VO2peak in individuals with or without cycling experience. Thirty experienced (EXP: 16 male and 14 female) and 28 nonexperienced (NEXP: 15 male and 13 female) subjects between the ages of 18-40 yr completed two incremental exercise tests on a cycle ergometer, one at 50 rpm and one at 80 rpm. in random order. VO2peak was predicted from submaximal data according to the method of the ACSM. There was no difference between actual VO2peak at 50 rpm and at 80 rpm. Correlations between predicted and actual VO2peak were 0.79 at 50 rpm and 0.81 at 80 rpm for all subjects. No significant differences in correlations were observed between groups or between cadences. However, the predicted values of VO2peak overestimated the actual values in both groups. Therefore, we conclude that cadences of 50 and 80 rpm have similar validity in cycle ergometry prediction of VO2peak, but the ACSM protocol overestimates VO2peak.

Predicting VO2maxin College-Aged Participants Using Cycle Ergometry and Perceived Functional Ability

“…It is speculated that a pedal rate of 50 rpm was adopted to accommodate less-fit individuals or to simplify the power output calculations. However, others have indicated that pedal rates of 50 or 80 rpm (Swain & Wright, 1997), 60 or 80 rpm (Coast, Cox, & Welch, 1986), and 80 or 100 rpm (McKay & Banister, 1976) are valid when predicting VO 2max using submaximal cycle ergometers. Although slower pedal rates appear to be favorable for lower-fit individuals, a faster pedal cadence may reduce quadriceps fatigue in higher-fit populations by decreasing the inertial resistance a person is working against (Banister & Jackson, 1967;McKay & Banister, 1976).…”

“…Sjostrand (1947) and Astrand and Ryhming (1954) were the first to develop submaximal cycle ergometer protocols. Since then, researchers have continued to develop methods of predicting VO 2max from submaximal workloads using cycle ergometers (ACSM, 2010;Astrand & Ryhming, 1954;George, Vehrs, Babcock, Etchie, Chinevere, & Fellingham, 2000;Golding, 2000;Leger, Fargeas, Van Praagh, Ricci, Hooper, & Gagnon, 1992;Sjostrand, 1947;Swain & Wright, 1997;Swank, Serapiglia, Funk, Adams, Durham, & Berning, 2001). Cycle ergometry is an appealing mode of testing (as opposed to testing using treadmills or stepping benches) in that (a) cycle ergometry allows for the selection of precise workrates that can be expressed with appropriate units of power (e.g., kgm·min −1 ); (b) cycle ergometers require minimal space and are easy to transport; (c) cycle ergometer exercise is a non-weight-bearing activity that is usually well tolerated by individuals with orthopedic or other physical limitations; and (d) heart rate (HR), blood pressure, and electrocardiographic data are easily collected during the test protocol.…”

“…A second potential limitation of submaximal cycle ergometer testing is that in untrained samples, VO 2max measured on a cycle ergometer has been shown to be 3% to 29% lower than the Downloaded by [Tufts University] at 07:21 03 December 2014 VO 2max values measured on a treadmill (Bassett & Boulay, 2000;Beasley, Plowman, & Fernhall, 1989;Davies, 1968;Greiwe, Kaminsky, Whaley, & Dwyer, 1995;Hartung, Krock, Crandall, Bisson, & Myhre, 1993;Hermansen & Saltin, 1969;Lockwood, Yoder, & Deuster, 1997;McKay & Banister, 1976;Swain & Wright, 1997). This is due to the fact that cycling is a non-weightbearing activity, so less muscle mass is required during the exercise.…”

“…For example, when working at the same resistance (1.0 kp), the workrates can vary greatly with differing pedal cadences (McKay & Banister, 1976; e.g., 1.0 kp · 70 rpm·6 m/rev = 420 kpm/min as opposed to 1.0 kp · 50 rpm·6 m/rev = 300 kpm/min). Moreover, using a faster pedal cadence has been shown to be more economical, and it is often times preferred by those familiar with cycling (Coast et al, 1986;Hagberg, Mullin, Giese, & Spitznagel, 1981;McKay & Banister, 1976;Swain & Wright, 1997). Consequently, regression models derived from exercise data that employ a faster pedal cadence may provide a more accurate estimate of VO 2max in participants with cycling experience.…”

"Physiological and Mood Changes Induced by Exercise Withdrawal"

“…The starting workload was set at 30 W for women and 60 W for men and was increased by 30 W per stage (Swain & Wright, 1997). The workloads were below the maximal exercise capacity of all subjects, with workloads ranging from very light to moderate to hard (Swain et al, 1997). The maximum heart rate reached was set not to exceed 85% of the participant's agepredicted maximal heart rate (.85 * (220-age)).…”