An alternative method to determine maximal accumulated O-2 deficit in runners

An accepted measure of anaerobic capacity is the maximal O-2 deficit. But i t is not feasible to use O-2 deficit if greater than or equal to 10 submaxi mal runs are needed to extrapolate the O-2 demand of high velocity running (Medbo et al. 1988). Recently, an alternative method to determine O-2 defic it was proposed (Hill 1996) using only results of supramaximal cycle ergome ter tests. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this alternative metho d with data from treadmill tests. Twenty-six runners ran at 95%, 100%, 105% , and 110% of their velocity at VO(2)max. Times to exhaustion, velocity, an d accumulated oxygen uptake (VO2) from each individual's four tests were fi t to the following equation using iterative nonlinear regression: accumulated VO2 = (O-2 demand.velocity.time) - O-2 deficit. The mean values derived for O-2 demand and O-2 deficit were 0.198 +/- 0.031 ml.kg(-1).m(-1) and 42 +/- 22 ml.kg(-1). SEE for the parameters were 0.007 +/- 0.007 mi kg(-1).m(-1) and 8 +/- 10 ml.kg(-1), respectively. Mean R-2 w as 0.998 +/- 0.003. It was concluded that O-2 deficit can be determined fro m all-out treadmill tests without the need to perform submaximal tests.