Maximum Oxygen Consumption Determined by the Bruce and Inclined Treadmill Protocols

Maximum Oxygen Consumption Determined by the Bruce and Inclined Treadmill Protocols

The aim of the present study was to derive regression equations for V̇o_2max vs. V̇o_2peak, and V̇O₂ 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·h^-1 and the grade was incremented starting from 09t by 2.5% for every 2 min. Peak V̇₂ observed during the Bruce exercise (V̇_2peak) was 37.7±2.4 and 31.7±1.8 ml kg^-1 min^-1 in the male and female groups, respectively. Peak V̇₂ observed during the inclined exercise was higher than V̇o_2peak during the Bruce exercise. Maximum V̇₂ value observed during the tyro exercises V̇_2max was 43.0±2.8 and 36.2±1.4 ml kg^-1 min^-1 in the male and female groups, respectively. Thus, V̇o_2peak by the Bruce protocol was about 12% (male) or 13% (female) lower than V̇_2max, and a linear relationship was found between V̇o_2peak and V̇_2max. The peak values of % V̇_max with the Bruce protocol were 89.2±3.3 and 87.5±3.6% and those with the inclined protocol 97.7±1.8 and 96.9±2.0% in the male and female groups, respectively. In the female group, %V̇_2max at a given workload was higher than in the male group, while V̇₂ per kg body weight was the same. Maximum HR observed during the two exercises was 204±2 and 195±3 beat min^-1 in the male and female groups, respectively. Linear relationships were found, excluding the last points, between 1) V̇₂ and exercise time, 2) V̇₂ and %V̇_2max and %HR_max.