Effects of pedalling rate changes on maximal oxygen uptake and perceived effort during bicycle ergometer work

The present investigation determined the efficacy of progressively increased pedalling rate (P) or resistance (R) during assessment of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) on the bicycle ergometer. Twenty male and nine female university students performed randomly assigned discontinuous P and R maximal stress tests. Male subjects immedicately repeated each test within the same experimental session. Regardless of test protocol, VO2max was quite similar. Magnitude estimates of perceived effort were significantly lower for male subjects during P testing (P less than .05) and 80% of male subjects preferred P testing. Conversely, magnitude estimates were significantly lower for female subjects for R testing (P LESS THAN .05). P testing could be reliably repeated within the same experimental session whereas with R testing VO2max was significantly reduced (P LESS THAN .05). It was concluded that progressively increased pedalling rate offers a physiologically acceptable means to VO2max assessment on the bicycle ergometer for males and females. In addition, progressively increased pedalling rate offers a perceptually preferable means to VO2max assessment for males but not for females.