[Expired gas analysis--focused on VO2 max and anaerobic threshold]

Recently, expired gas analysis(EGA) during exercise testing is broadly performed. It has been recognized that anaerobic threshold(AT) and maximal oxygen uptake(VO2 max) may be useful in identifying one's exercise tolerance. AT especially has a good correlation with endurance capacity. In the field of sports medicine, the purposes of EGA are: 1) evaluation of endurance exercise capacity. 2) decision of intensity and frequency for exercise training, and 3) prevention of overtraining syndrome. In the clinical fields, EGA is frequently performed with cardiovascular patients, for example, myocardial infarction(MI), and congestive heart failure(CHF). The purposes are: 1) decision of intensity for exercise therapy with the patients of old MI. 2) evaluation of exercise capacity with the patients' of CHF. 3) index of exercise therapy for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, and 4) evaluation of drug effects including vasodilators and cardiotonics.