Respiratory muscle training extends exercise tolerance without concomitant change to peak oxygen uptake: Physiological, performance and perceptual responses derived from the same incremental exercise test

Six highly trained male elite rowers performed five sets of intermittent exercise on a rowing ergometer at competition intensity. Each set consisted of eight cycles of 15 s work and 15 s rest (15/15). Each set was repeated at 30-s intervals. Oxygen uptake and heart rate were continuously measured during each set. During the period between sets, microsamples of arterialized blood were obtained and later analyzed for lactate concentration. On two separate days, each subject also performed a 6-min bout of "all-out " exercise and a continuous incremental exercise test to fatigue on the rowing ergometer. During the intermittent rowing, no significant differences were detected in any of the measured variables between sets. Heart rate, oxygen uptake, and blood lactate averaged 89, 78, and 32%, respectively, of peak values measured during the continuous incremental exercise test. It is concluded that with rowing, the investigated 15/15 intermittent exercise model demands relatively high aerobic loading and low glycolytic activity. This exercise protocol may be considered an alternative model for training which allows rowers to work for prolonged periods of time at or slightly above competition intensity. Key words: Intermittent exercise, blood lactate, heart rate, oxygen uptake

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Change point in V˙ CO 2 during incremental exercise test: a new method for assessment of human exercise tolerance

Acta Physiologica Scandinavica ◽

10.1046/j.1365-201x.1999.00589.x ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 167 (1) ◽

pp. 49-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Zoladz ◽

Szkutnik ◽

Majerczak ◽

Duda

Keyword(s):

Exercise Test ◽

Change Point ◽

Exercise Tolerance ◽

Incremental Exercise ◽

New Method ◽

Incremental Exercise Test

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Comparison of the Ramp and Step Incremental Exercise Test Protocols in Assessing the Maximal Fat Oxidation Rate in Youth Cyclists

Journal of Human Kinetics ◽

10.2478/hukin-2021-0104 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (1) ◽

pp. 163-172

Author(s):

Kamil Michalik ◽

Natalia Danek ◽

Marek Zatoń

Keyword(s):

Oxygen Uptake ◽

Exercise Test ◽

Oxidation Rate ◽

Fat Oxidation ◽

Incremental Exercise ◽

Step Test ◽

Exercise Tests ◽

Incremental Exercise Test ◽

Ramp Test ◽

Maximal Fat Oxidation

Abstract The incremental exercise test is the most common method in assessing the maximal fat oxidation (MFO) rate. The main aim of the study was to determine whether the progressive linear RAMP test can be used to assess the maximal fat oxidation rate along with the intensities that trigger its maximal (FATmax) and its minimal (FATmin) values. Our study comprised 57 young road cyclists who were tested in random order. Each of them was submitted to two incremental exercise tests on an electro-magnetically braked cycle-ergometer - STEP (50 W·3 min-1) and RAMP (~0.278 W·s-1) at a 7-day interval. A stoichiometric equation was used to calculate the fat oxidation rate, while the metabolic thresholds were defined by analyzing ventilation gases. The Student’s T-test, Bland-Altman plots and Pearson’s linear correlations were resorted to in the process of statistical analysis. No statistically significant MFO variances occurred between the tests (p = 0.12) and its rate amounted to 0.57 ± 0.15 g·min-1 and 0.53 ± 0.17 g·min-1 in the STEP and RAMP, respectively. No statistically significant variances in the absolute and relative (to maximal) values of oxygen uptake and heart rate were discerned at the FATmax and FATmin intensities. The RAMP test displayed very strong oxygen uptake correlations between the aerobic threshold and FATmax (r = 0.93, R2 = 0.87, p < 0.001) as well as the anaerobic threshold and FATmin (r = 0.88, R2 = 0.78, p < 0.001). Our results corroborate our hypothesis that the incremental RAMP test as well as the STEP test are reliable tools in assessing MFO, FATmax and FATmin intensities.

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