Various near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) variables have been used to estimate muscle lactate threshold (LT), but no study has determined which common NIRS variable best reflects muscle estimated LT. Establishing the inflection point of 2 regression lines for deoxyhaemoglobin (ΔHHbi.p.), oxyhaemoglobin (ΔO2Hbi.p.), and tissue oxygenation index (TOIi.p.), as well as for blood lactate concentration, we then investigated the relationships between NIRS variables and ventilatory threshold (VT), LT, or maximal tissue hemoglobin index (nTHImax) during incremental cycling exercise. ΔHHbi.p. and TOIi.p. could be determined for all 15 subjects, but ΔO2Hbi.p. was determined for only 11 subjects. The mean absolute values for the 2 measurable slopes of the 2 continuous linear regression lines exhibited increased changes in 3 NIRS variables. The workload and VO2 at ΔO2Hbi.p. and nTHImax were greater than those at VT, LT, ΔHHbi.p., and TOIi.p.. For workload and VO2, ΔHHbi.p. was correlated with VT and LT, whereas ΔO2Hbi.p. was correlated with nTHImax, and TOIi.p. with VT and nTHImax. These findings indicate that ΔO2Hb strongly corresponds with local perfusion, and TOI corresponds with both local perfusion and deoxygenation, but that ΔHHb can exactly determine deoxygenation changes and reflect O2 metabolic dynamics. The finding of strongest correlations between ΔHHb and VT or LT indicates that ΔHHb is the best variable for muscle LT estimation.
A novel device for detecting anaerobic threshold using sweat lactate during exercise
