Evaluating Seismocardiography as a Non-Exercise Method for Estimating Maximal Oxygen Uptake.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2MAX) is a critical health indicator.
• Traditional VO2MAX assessment via cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is time-consuming and impractical for routine use.
• There is a need for non-exercise methods to estimate VO2MAX.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a novel seismocardiography sensor (Seismofit®) for estimating VO2MAX without exercise.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of the Seismofit® device compared to CPET.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-four healthy adults participated in the study.
• Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was performed on an ergometer.
• Seismofit® measurements were taken at rest before CPET and post-exercise.

Main Results:

• Seismofit® VO2MAX estimates at rest showed strong correlation with CPET results (r = 0.834, r = 0.832).
• Mean average percentage error for Seismofit® estimates was approximately 11.4%.
• Excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.993) was observed for resting Seismofit® measurements.

Conclusions:

• The Seismofit® sensor provides an acceptable and accurate non-exercise estimation of VO2MAX.
• The device demonstrates high repeatability for resting measurements.
• Seismofit® is a promising tool for general health assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness.