Gas exchange threshold and VO2max testing for athletes: an update

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Background:

• Standardized graded exercise test (GXT) protocols are increasingly recognized as ineffective for accurately measuring maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) in endurance athletes.
• Traditional methods for corroborating VO2max during GXT are being questioned by the scientific community.
• A novel approach, the verification bout, has been proposed as a superior method for establishing "true" VO2max.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the abandonment of traditional GXT techniques for VO2max assessment.
• To introduce and explain the verification bout as a more accurate method for determining "true" VO2max.
• To guide the development of custom GXT protocols and the integration of verification bouts.

Main Methods:

• Summarizing methodologies for creating personalized GXT protocols tailored to individual athletes.
• Detailing techniques for identifying critical thresholds and interpolating power or running velocity.
• Explaining the implementation and significance of the verification bout in VO2max testing.

Main Results:

• Standardized GXT protocols are insufficient for accurately assessing VO2max in endurance athletes.
• The verification bout, conducted after the GXT, provides a more reliable measure of "true" VO2max.
• Custom GXT protocol development and verification bouts reframe the approach to maximal exercise testing.

Conclusions:

• The traditional GXT is an inadequate method for determining VO2max in endurance athletes.
• The verification bout is a crucial addition for accurately establishing "true" VO2max.
• Adopting custom GXT protocols and verification bouts is essential for advancing the assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness.