Validation of a cycle ergometry equation for predicting steady-rate VO2 in obese women

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of equations developed by the American College of Sports Medicine and by Latin et al. (Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 25:970-974, 1993) for estimating the oxygen cost of cycle ergometry in obese women. Fifty-six deconditioned subjects, aged 23-60 yr, performed a three-stage (0, 50, and 100 W) submaximal cycle ergometry test while their oxygen uptake was measured. Results indicated that the ACSM equation significantly (P < 0.05) underestimated oxygen consumption at all three workloads. The Latin equation, by contrast, correctly predicted oxygen consumption at the 50- and 100-W workloads, although not at 0 load. The mean bias for all three workloads was 287.6 ml.min-1 for the ACSM equation and 58.3 ml.min-1 for the Latin equation. These data suggest that the Latin equation is more accurate than the ACSM formula for estimating oxygen consumption of loaded cycling in obese women. However, caution must be used when attempting to predict the caloric cost of unloaded cycling.