Smartwatch-Based Maximum Oxygen Consumption Measurement for Predicting Acute Mountain Sickness: Diagnostic Accuracy...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Altitude Medicine
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Cardiorespiratory fitness is crucial for high-altitude adaptation.
• The link between cardiorespiratory fitness and acute mountain sickness (AMS) is understudied.
• Wearable devices offer a practical way to assess cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) for AMS prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• Validate VO2max estimation using a self-administered smartwatch test (SWT).
• Assess the predictive performance of a VO2max-SWT model for AMS susceptibility.
• Investigate the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in AMS development.

Main Methods:

• VO2max measured via SWT and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) at low and high altitudes.
• Analysis of red blood cell characteristics and hemoglobin levels.
• Bland-Altman analysis for VO2max agreement; logistic regression and ROC curves for AMS prediction.

Main Results:

• VO2max decreased significantly at high altitude for both CPET and SWT.
• SWT showed good accuracy in estimating VO2max, with slight overestimation.
• Lower VO2max (both CPET and SWT) was associated with AMS development.
• VO2max-SWT and RDW-CV independently predicted AMS, with their combination yielding the highest predictive accuracy (AUC=0.839).

Conclusions:

• Smartwatch devices provide a feasible method for estimating VO2max.
• SWT-based VO2max is a valuable indicator for predicting AMS susceptibility.
• Combining smartwatch-derived VO2max with RDW-CV enhances AMS prediction at high altitudes.