Estimating the parameters of aerobic function during exercise using an exponentially increasing work rate protocol

A new exercise protocol has been proposed, with respect to cardiopulmonary exercise testing, which starts at a low work rate (WR) and increases expone ntially by a standard percentage of the previous work rate every minuter th e test is termed STEEP (standardised exponential exercise protocol). The po tential advantage of this protocol is that if can accommodate a wide range of subjects, since it allows a maximum to be attained with a relatively nar row variation of tolerance time, regardless of subjects exercise capacity T o date, only the (V) over dotO(2max) has been compared with that from the c urrent standard ramp protocol. The ramp, however, also allows other importa nt parameters of aerobic function to be estimated: the anaerobic threshold (AT); the response time constant and Delta(V) over dotO(2)/Delta WR. The ai m of this study was, therefore, to clarify whether these aerobic parameters can be readily discerned from the responses to the STEEP protocol both fro m a theoretical and practical viewpoint As a result of theoretical consider ations, we demonstrated that the (V) over dotO(2) time constant and Delta(V ) over dotO(2)/Delta WR may not both be estimated uniquely. As a practical expedient, a procedure was proposed for estimating the parameter analogues. The preliminary results for six subjects between the STEEP and ramp protoc ols showed consistent positive correlation for (V) over dotO(2max) (r = 0.9 97) and AT-(V) over dotO(2) (r = 0.980), whereas the correlation for the (V ) over dotO(2) time constant and Delta(V) over dotO(2)/Delta WR were not si gnificant. Further study is needed to clarify the reason(s) for the discrep ancies both from a theoretical and practical viewpoint.