USE OF OXYGEN-UPTAKE RECOVERY CURVE TO PREDICT PEAK OXYGEN-UPTAKE IN UPPER-BODY EXERCISE

A group of 18 well-trained white-water kayakers performed maximal uppe r body exercise in the laboratory and during a field test. Laboratory direct peak oxygen uptake (VO2) values were compared, firstly by a VO2 backward extrapolation estimation and secondly by an estimation calcu lated from VO2 measured during the first 20 s of exercise recovery. Di rect peak VO2 correlated with VO2 backward extrapolation (r=0.89), but the results of this study showed that the backward extrapolation meth od tended to overestimate significantly peak VO2 by [0.57 (SD 0.31) 1. min(-1) in the laboratory, and 0.66 (SD 0.33) 1. min(-1) in the field, P<0.001]. The VO2 measured during the first 20 s of recovery, whether the exercise was performed in the laboratory or in the field, correla ted well with the laboratory direct peak VO2 (r=0.92 and r=0.91, respe ctively). The use of the regression equation obtained from field data (VO2F20s), that is peak VO2=0.23+1.08 VO2FZ0s, gave an estimated peak VO2, the mean difference of which compared with direct peak VO2 was 0. 22 (SD 0.13) 1.min(-1). In conclusion, we propose the use of a regress ion equation to estimate peak VO2 from a single sample of the gas expi red during the first 20 s of recovery after maximal exercise involving the upper part of the body.