Comparison of metabolic responses and oxygen cost during maximal exercise using three treadmill protocols

Sixteen healthy men aged 27.2 +/- 1.2 yr (mean +/- SEM) were tested to volitional exhaustion using the Balke, Bruce, and Ellestad treadmill protocols. Balke resulted in a greater (p less than 0.01) time to exhaustion and total work output, but a lower (p less than 0.05) peak oxygen consumption (ml.kg-1.min-1), and a lower (p less than 0.0001) cumulative net oxygen debt. Oxygen debt, expressed as a percent of total net oxygen cost, was smaller (p less than 0.001) on the Balke than the Bruce and Ellestad protocols (9.9 +/- 0.5, 18.7 +/- 0.6, and 19.3 +/- 0.6%, respectively). The rate of increase in oxygen consumption (p less than 0.0001) and blood lactate concentration (p less than 0.05) were lower on the Balke than on the Bruce and Ellestead protocols. Therefore, the observed differences in oxygen debt and lactate concentrations probably reflect differences in the rate of energy requirement, aerobic and anaerobic metabolism and physiological stress associated with each protocol.