Kinetics of VO2 with impulse and step exercise in humans

The constancy of the time course (i.e., dynamic linearity) of the O2 uptake (VO2) response to exercise was examined by testing the law of superposition on data from impulse and step work rate forcings. Two impulses (10 s at a 235-W increase above a 25-W base line, I-235; and 5 s at a 475-W increase above a 25-W base line, I-475), four steps (ST) (25-65 W, ST1; 65-105 W, ST2; 25-105 W, ST3; and 25-145 W, ST4), and the corresponding off-transient responses were performed six to eight times by each of five subjects. The integrated area (G) of the VO2 response for I-235 was similar to that of ST1 and ST2 (P greater than 0.05); the I-475 G was significantly greater (P less than 0.05). The time constant of VO2 during the step function on-transient response for the second exponential component was significantly faster for ST1 and significantly slower for I-235 and I-475 than for ST2, ST3, and ST4 (P less than 0.05). However, I-235 and I-475 time constants for VO2 were not different from the ST off-transient values. Attempts to superimpose the integral of the impulse on the ST data showed that the early rapid increase in VO2 in the ST was underpredicted by the impulse and that the impulse response lagged behind the ST at all points before steady state. It can be concluded that VO2 kinetics failed the test of superposition and are therefore described by a nonlinear dynamic system.