Interaction of test protocol and inclined run training on maximal oxygen uptake

Twenty-two men, 17 to 27 years of age, volunteered to participate in an inclined terrain running program. Men were randomly assigned to a control (N = 10) or an experimental (N = 12) group. The experimental group ran on inclined terrain 4 times/wk for 35 min a session at an intensity of 65 to 85% of maximal aerobic power for 12 wk. The purpose of this study was to analyze the interaction between a subject's VO2max on an inclined protocol (IP) vs a horizontal protocol (HP) before and after training on incline terrain. VO2max, HRmax, VEmax, Rmax, and maximum treadmill time were evaluated on both treadmill protocols (IP and HP). Prior to training, results indicated no difference in VO2max values between protocols. Following training, VEmax, maximum treadmill time, and VO2max increased 8.7, 9.1, and 8.5%, respectively, on the IP and 5.8, 6.8, and 5.3% on the HP respectively. All increases were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. The post-training VO2max on the IP was significantly greater than the value on the HP. These results support the concept of specificity of training and indicate the importance of careful selection of both the test protocol as well as the test mode.