NORMAL STANDARDS FOR CARDIOPULMONARY RESPONSES TO EXERCISE USING A CYCLE ERGOMETER TEST

The purpose of the study was to establish standards for cardiopulmonar y responses to exercise in healthy Chinese subjects in Taiwan. One hun dred and five sedentary healthy subjects, 55 men and 50 women aged bet ween 20 and 75 years, were tested. They pedalled a cycle ergometer wit h the work rate increased by 10 W every minute until they were exhaust ed. Expiratory gas volume, oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concen tration, and heart rate were measured during the exercise test. Work r ate (WRmax), oxygen consumption ((V) over dot o(2max)), oxygen consump tion divided by body weight ((V) over dot o(2max)/BW), heart rate (HRm ax), and ventilation ((V) over dot E-max) at maximal exercise, and oxy gen consumption at anaerobic threshold ((V) over dot o(2)AT) were dete rmined. These parameters were regressed by age (A, in year), height (H , in cm), body weight (G, in kg), and gender (S, 0 = women, and 1 = me n), and the following predictive equations were obtained: 1) WRmax (W) = -1.2A + 1.1 H + 0.7 G + 28 S - 56, R = 0.90; 2) (V) over dot o(2max ) (ml/min) = -20 A + 9.5 H + 16 G + 461 S - 237, R = 0.90; (3) (V) ove r dot o(2max)/BW (ml/kg/min) = -0.31 A + 0.14 H - 0.14 G - 7.2 S + 22, R = 0.87; 4) HRmax (beat/min) = -0.81 A + 209, R = 0.61; 5) (V) over dot E-max (L/min) = -0.74 A - 0.04 H + 0.93 G + 22.2 S + 42, R = 0.83; 6) (V) over dot o(2)AT (ml/min) = -9.5 A + 3.5 H + 9.4 G + 140 S - 12 2, R = 0.79. Our results provide normal standards for cardiopulmonary responses to exercise during cycle ergometer testing in Taiwan.