Aerobic fitness and limiting factors of maximal performance in chronic low back pain patients.

Background: Studies of measurement of maximal aerobic uptake in patients with chronic low back pain have shown inconsistent results and none has focused on clinical endpoints of ergometry tests.

Objective: To determine the level of cardiorespiratory fitness and to establish factors limiting the maximal effort during the ergometry.

Methods: Patients with chronic low back pain performed a graded maximal exercise test.

A new non exercise-based VO2max prediction equation for patients with chronic low back pain.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION The measurement of the maximal oxygen uptake as a parameter of cardiorespiratory fitness is useful in exercise prescription in functional restoration programs but this measurement requires the subject's maximal exertion which is not always possible in patients with chronic low back pain. The purpose of this study was to develop a regression equation to predict maximal oxygen uptake based on non-exercise data in adult patients with chronic low back pain.

Methods: Cross sectional study in which 70 participants completed a maximal graded exercise test in cycle ergometer to assess maximal oxygen uptake.