Computer analysis of oxygen consumption and minute ventilation for the detection of the lactate threshold

A group of 15 normal subjects performed a maximal-exercise test on a treadmill. Arterial lactate measurements were related to oxygen consumption (VO2) in an exponential fashion (individual correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9 to 0.99). In the same subjects, minute ventilation (VE) was related to VO2 in an exponential fashion (individual correlation coefficients ranged from 0.98 to 1). There was a close correlation (r = 0.97, p less than 0.001) between the slope of the log of lactate versus VO2 and the slope of the log of VE versus VO2. A computer program for predicting the VO2 corresponding to the accumulation of arterial lactate above the resting normal value (1.3 mM), defined as the lactate threshold, is described. The program is based on the slopes of the exponential relationship between lactate and VO2 and between VE and VO2 derived in the normal subjects. The program analyses 30-second values of VO2 and VE. In 28 subjects, the reproducibility of the lactate threshold prediction was evaluated during two exercise tests 1-7 days apart. The mean predicted VO2 at the lactate threshold was 18.6 +/- 7 ml/(kg.min) during test 1 and during test 2 it was 17.9 +/- 7.3 ml/(kg.min); r = 0.91, p less than 0.001. The corresponding values for maximal VO2 were 30.4 +/- 13 ml/(kg.min) and 31 +/- 13 ml/(kg.min); r = 0.99, p less than 0.001. It is concluded that this program offers a reproducible method of determining the lactate threshold during exercise testing employing a frequently used clinical protocol.