Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2025
Author Spotlight: Exercise Test for Evaluation of the Functional Efficacy of the Pig Cardiovascular System
Published on: May 12, 2023
Quantifying Improvement in V˙ o2peak and Exercise Thresholds in Cardiovascular Disease Using Reliable Change Indices
Robin Faricier1, Randi R Keltz, Tim Hartley
1School of Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada (Mr Faricier, Ms Keltz, and Dr Keir); Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada (Messrs Faricier and Hartley, Ms Keltz, and Drs Suskin, Prior, and Keir); Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention Program, St Joseph's Health Care, London, Ontario, Canada (Mr Hartley and Drs McKelvie, Suskin, and Prior); Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada (Drs McKelvie and Suskin); and Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Dr Keir).
Purpose:
Improving aerobic fitness through exercise training is recommended for the treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, strong justifications for the criteria of assessing improvement in key parameters of aerobic function including estimated lactate threshold (θ LT ), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and peak oxygen uptake (V˙ o2peak ) at the individual level are not established. We applied reliable change index (RCI) statistics to determine minimal meaningful change (MMC RCI ) cutoffs of θ LT , RCP, and V˙ o2peak for individual patients with CVD.
Methods:
Sixty-six stable patients post-cardiac event performed three exhaustive treadmill-based incremental exercise tests (modified Bruce) ∼1 wk apart (T1-T3). Breath-by-breath gas exchange and ventilatory variables were measured by metabolic cart and used to identify θ LT , RCP, and V˙ o2peak . Using test-retest reliability and mean difference scores to estimate error and test practice/exposure, respectively, MMC RCI values were calculated for V˙ o2 (mL·min -1. kg -1 ) at θ LT , RCP, and V˙ o2peak .
Results:
There were no significant between-trial differences in V˙ o2 at θ LT ( P = .78), RCP ( P = .08), or V˙ o2peak ( P = .74) and each variable exhibited excellent test-retest variability (intraclass correlation: 0.97, 0.98, and 0.99; coefficient of variation: 6.5, 5.4, and 4.9% for θ LT , RCP, and V˙ o2peak , respectively). Derived from comparing T1-T2, T1-T3, and T2-T3, the MMC RCI for θ LT were 3.91, 3.56, and 2.64 mL·min -1. kg -1 ; 4.01, 2.80, and 2.79 mL·min -1. kg -1 for RCP; and 3.61, 3.83, and 2.81 mL·min -1. kg -1 for V˙ o2peak . For each variable, MMC RCI scores were lowest for T2-T3 comparisons.
Conclusion:
These MMC RCI scores may be used to establish cutoff criteria for determining meaningful changes for interventions designed to improve aerobic function in individuals with CVD.
More Related Videos
08:27A Real-World High-Intensity Interval Training Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Fitness Improvement
Published on: February 22, 2022
07:09Assessment of Pulmonary Capillary Blood Volume, Membrane Diffusing Capacity, and Intrapulmonary Arteriovenous Anastomoses During Exercise
Published on: February 20, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...