Published in:
01-08-2018 | Original Article
V˙O2 plateau in treadmill exercise is not dependent on anaerobic capacity
Published in: Sport Sciences for Health | Issue 2/2018
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Introduction
A plateau in oxygen consumption (V˙O2 plateau) remains the definitive criteria for establishing that maximal oxygen consumption (V˙O2max) was achieved during maximal exercise despite its inconsistent presence. Anaerobic capacity may assist in achieving a V˙O2 plateau.
Purposes
To determine if a correlation exists between maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) and magnitude of V˙O2 plateau during treadmill exercise.
Methods
Participants completed submaximal, maximal, and supramaximal exercise treadmill tests on separate occasions. MAOD was determined during the supramaximal test by calculating the difference between oxygen consumption (V˙O2) and predicted V˙O2 based on extrapolation of submaximal data. V˙O2 plateau was determined as a < 50 ml change in V˙O2 over the last 60 s of exercise.
Results
Ten of seventeen participants showed a plateau in V˙O2. Oxygen deficit was not different between the plateau and non-plateau groups (44.2 ± 10.8 vs. 44.8 ± 8.5 ml·kg−1, p = 0.906). Oxygen deficit was not correlated with change in V˙O2 (r = − 0.087, p = 0.739). Aerobic training hours·week−1 were higher in the plateau group than non-plateau (4.8 ± 1.5 vs. 1.7 ± 2.1, p = 0.003) and correlated with change in V˙O2 (r = − 0.418, p = 0.048).
Conclusions
In treadmill running, there is not a significant correlation between V˙O2 plateau and MAOD as has been seen in cycling.