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Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
Anticipating maximal or submaximal exercise: no differences in cardiopulmonary responses
Ida Kjelkenes1, Einar Thorsen1,2
1Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen.
Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging
|July 13, 2010
Summary
Anticipation before exercise does not affect cardiopulmonary responses during maximal or submaximal tests. This finding supports the comparability of normative values for submaximal exercise regardless of the endpoint.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Cardiopulmonary Function
- Human Performance
Background:
- Anticipation of exercise can alter physiological responses.
- The impact of anticipation on maximal versus submaximal exercise responses is unclear.
- Comparability of submaximal exercise data may be compromised if anticipation effects differ.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if anticipation influences cardiopulmonary responses differently during maximal and submaximal exercise tests.
- To determine if normative values for submaximal exercise are comparable despite potential anticipation effects.
Main Methods:
- Twelve healthy young adults underwent randomized maximal and submaximal cycle ergometer tests.
- Participants were informed 15 minutes prior whether the test would be maximal or submaximal.
- Cardiopulmonary variables including heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (VO2) were measured, and regression analyses were performed.
Main Results:
- Regression models accurately described tidal volume-minute ventilation (VT-VE) and HR-VO2 relationships.
- No significant differences were found in regression coefficients between maximal and submaximal exercise tests.
- This indicates anticipation did not differentially affect the measured physiological responses.
Conclusions:
- Anticipation does not appear to influence cardiopulmonary responses during progressive maximal and submaximal exercise.
- Normative values for submaximal exercise testing are reliable, irrespective of the specific endpoint.
- This supports the validity of using standardized submaximal exercise protocols.
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