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Employing the Forced Oscillation Technique for the Assessment of Respiratory Mechanics in Adults
Published on: February 9, 2022
Reliability and validity of the respiratory threshold method.
Hakan As1,2, Arda Peker1,2, Engin Yildiztepe2,3
1Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Ege University, Bornova, 35050, Izmir, Türkiye.
European Journal of Applied Physiology
|July 13, 2026
Summary
The novel respiratory threshold (RT) method accurately identifies exercise intensity zones. This reproducible and sensitive approach using V̇E/PETCO2 reliably detects gas exchange and respiratory compensation points.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Cardiorespiratory Fitness Assessment
- Sports Science
Background:
- Accurate determination of exercise intensity thresholds is crucial for training prescription and performance analysis.
- Traditional methods for identifying thresholds like the gas exchange threshold (GET) and respiratory compensation point (RCP) can be subjective.
- A more objective and reliable method for threshold detection is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the test-retest reliability, sensitivity, and validity of a new respiratory threshold (RT) method.
- The RT method is based on identifying time-dependent breakpoints in the minute ventilation to end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide ratio (V̇E/PETCO2) during ramp exercise.
Main Methods:
- Healthy male participants (n=42 for reliability, n=143 for validity) completed ramp cycling tests.
- Respiratory thresholds (RT1 and RT2) were determined from V̇E/PETCO2 breakpoints.
- Validity was assessed by comparing RT1/RT2 with gas exchange threshold (GET) and respiratory compensation point (RCP) identified via segmented regression.
Main Results:
- RT1 and RT2 showed excellent test-retest reliability for oxygen uptake (V̇O2) and power output (ICC = 0.98–0.99).
- The method demonstrated high sensitivity, with typical error below the smallest worthwhile change.
- RT1 and RT2 closely correlated with GET and RCP, respectively, with minimal bias and low error.
Conclusions:
- The RT method is a reproducible, sensitive, and physiologically valid approach for identifying exercise thresholds.
- This method can reliably differentiate between untrained, active, and trained individuals.
- The RT method serves as a valuable complementary tool for exercise threshold detection and performance monitoring.
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