Correlates of maximal oxygen consumption during treadmill exercise

Abstract

According to the Balke treadmill protocol, 39 healthy male USAF volunteers were subjected to maximal exercise. The subjects as a group passed the anaerobic threshold by the end of exercise since average venous lactate concentrations increased from 11.2 +/- 1.6 mg% (95% confidence limits) to 93.0 +/- 8.5 mg% (95% confidence limits), and the average gas exchange ratio (R) at the end of the exercise was greater than unity (p less than 0.0005). Tests for correlations showed weak but statistically significant (p less than 0.05) relationships between change in venous lactic acid concentrations and R (r = 0.44) and maximal heart rate (r = 0.34). Maximal oxygen consumption was correlated with time of exercise (r = 0.70) and subject weight (r = 0.33). Subject age and initial plasma lactate concentrations were not significantly correlated with any other variables. Multiple linear regression yielded an equation for prediction of maximal oxygen consumption which included terms for time of exercise and subject weight. Although the multiple correlation coefficent (r = 0.75) was statistically significant (p less than 0.05), it was considered insufficient for accurate prediction of maximal oxygen consumption.