On the Determination of Ventilatory Threshold and Respiratory Compensation Point via Respiratory Frequency

Abstract

This study examined the validity of a quantitative respiratory frequency (f _R) analysis to detect the ventilatory threshold (Θ_Vent) and respiratory compensation point (RCP). Thirty-six amateur competitive cyclists completed a maximal graded exercise test on an electromagnetically-braked cycle ergometer. Θ_Vent and RCP were determined using multiple gas exchange criteria and by f _R analysis (Θ_Vent f _R and RCPf _R), employing an iterative least-squares linear regression technique. Fifteen subjects were excluded from the analyses due to a low signal-to-noise ratio and/or high risk for pseudo-threshold resulting from hyperventilation early in the exercise protocol. A Bland-Altman procedure for inter-analysis comparison completed on the remaining participants’ data (n=21; age=29±7 years; height=177±9 cm; weight=76.0±15.8 kg; V˙O_2max=4.415±0.971 l min⁻¹; 58.7±10.7 ml kg⁻¹ min⁻¹) revealed mean bias±95% Limits of Agreement (LOA) of 1.53±50.2 W for Θ_Vent and Θ_Vent f _R. The same inter-anlysis comparison (n=21) for RCP and RCPf _R resulted in a mean bias±LOA of 12.6±26.9 W. The analysis techniques in the present investigation revealed substantial limits of agreement and/or bias for all estimations, and these data indicated f _R analyses were unsatisfactory to determine Θ_Vent and RCP in trained cyclists.

Key words

ventilation frequency - respiratory rate - lactate threshold

References

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