A refined technique for determining the respiratory gas exchange responses to anaerobic metabolism during progressive exercise - repeatability in a group of healthy men.

The respiratory gas exchange and ventilation during an incremental cycle exercise test were analysed in a group of 19 healthy, moderately fit men. Different computer algorithms were used to estimate the VO2 values where: (i) the rate of VCO(2) increase just exceeds the rate of VO(2) increase (DX, derivative crossing), (ii) VCO(2)/VO(2) = 1.00 (PX, point of crossing) and (iii) ventilation (VE) increases disproportionately in relation to VCO(2) (PQ, point of VCO(2) equivalent rise). The DX and PQ measurements were analysed using a new approach employing polynomial regression and the value of PX was determined following low-pass filtration of raw data. The repeatability of the measurements was evaluated with a 5-6 week interval between the tests. The correlations between tests were 0.75 at DX, 0.85 at PX and 0.62 at PQ. The mean differences between the repeated tests were not statistically significant. The repeatability of VO2, in absolute values expressed as +/-2 SD of the differences between the tests, had values of 5.0, 6.1 and 9.5 ml min(-1) kg(-1) for DX, PX and PQ, respectively. The mean value of VO(2) for each measurement point expressed as a percentage of VO(2 max) was 54% at DX, 68% at PX and 70% at PQ. The most common sequence of the measured values was DX < PX < PQ, but the sequence DX < PQ < PX was also observed. It is concluded that the gas exchange responses to developing anaerobic metabolism during progressive exercise can be characterized by a series of thresholds. However, the considerable variation in absolute values in the two testing occasions requires further attention.