Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Sports Medicine
Published in: Sports Medicine 7/2007

01-07-2007 | Leading Article

Incremental Exercise Test Design and Analysis

Implications for Performance Diagnostics in Endurance Athletes

Authors: Dr David J. Bentley, John Newell, David Bishop

Published in: Sports Medicine | Issue 7/2007

Login to get access

Abstract

Physiological variables, such as maximum work rate or maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max), together with other submaximal metabolic inflection points (e.g. the lactate threshold [LT], the onset of blood lactate accumulation and the pulmonary ventilation threshold [VT]), are regularly quantified by sports scientists during an incremental exercise test to exhaustion. These variables have been shown to correlate with endurance performance, have been used to prescribe exercise training loads and are useful to monitor adaptation to training. However, an incremental exercise test can be modified in terms of starting and subsequent work rates, increments and duration of each stage. At the same time, the analysis of the blood lactate/ventilatory response to incremental exercise may vary due to the medium of blood analysed and the treatment (or mathematical modelling) of data following the test to model the metabolic inflection points. Modification of the stage duration during an incremental exercise test may influence the submaximal and maximal physiological variables. In particular, the peak power output is reduced in incremental exercise tests that have stages of longer duration. Furthermore, the VT or LT may also occur at higher absolute exercise work rate in incremental tests comprising shorter stages. These effects may influence the relationship of the variables to endurance performance or potentially influence the sensitivity of these results to endurance training. A difference in maximum work rate with modification of incremental exercise test design may change the validity of using these results for predicting performance, and prescribing or monitoring training. Sports scientists and coaches should consider these factors when conducting incremental exercise testing for the purposes of performance diagnostics.
Literature
1.
Hargreaves M, Hawley JA, Feukendmp A. Pre-exercise carbohydrate and fat ingestion: effects on n atabolism and performance. J Sports Sci 2004; 22: 31–8PubMedCrossRef
2.
Kay D, Marino FE. Fluid ingestion and exercise hyperthernua: implications for performance, lhermoregulation, metabolism and the development of fatigue. J Sports Sci 2000; 18: 71–82PubMedCrossRef
3.
Coyle EF. Integration of the physiological factors determining endurance performance ability. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 1995; 23: 25–63PubMedCrossRef
4.
Bassett Jr DR, Howley ET. Limiting factors for maximum oxygen uptake and determinants of endurance performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 70–84PubMed
5.
Hawley JA, Myburgh KH, Noakes TD, et al. Training techniques to improve fatigue resistance and enhance endurance performance. J Sports Sci 1997; 15: 325–33PubMedCrossRef
6.
Farrell PA, Wilmore JH, Coyle EF, et al. Plasma lactate accumulation and distance running performance. Med Sci Sports 1979; 11: 338–44PubMed
7.
Zhou S, Robson SJ, King MJ, et al. Correlations between shortcourse triathlon performance and physiological variables determined in laboratory cycle and treadmill tests. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 1997; 37: 122–30PubMed
8.
Bishop D, Jenkins DG, MacKinnon LT. The relationship between plasma lactate parameters, Wreak and 1-h cycling performance in women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998; 30: 1270–5PubMedCrossRef
9.
Bishop D, Jenkins DG, McENery M, et al. Relationship between plasma lactate parameters and muscle characteristics in female cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 1088–93PubMedCrossRef
10.
Bentley DJ, McNaughton LR, Thompson D, et al. Peak power output, the lactate threshold, and time trial performance in cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001; 33: 2077–81PubMedCrossRef
11.
Hopkins SR, McKenzie DC. The laboratory assessment of endurance performance in cyclists. Can J Appl Physiol 1994; 19: 266–74PubMedCrossRef
12.
Chicharro JL, Hoyos J, Lucia A. Effects of endurance training on the isocapnic buffering and hypocapnic hyperventilation phases in professional cyclists. Br J Sports Med 2000; 34: 450–5PubMedCrossRef
13.
Ieukendrup AE, Craig NP, Howley JA. The bioenergefics of world class cycling. J Sci Med Sport 2000; 3: 414–33CrossRef
14.
Lucia A, Hoyos J, Perez M, et al. Heart rate and performance parameters in elite cyclists: a longitudinal study. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 1777–82PubMedCrossRef
15.
Taylor HL, Haskell W, Fox SM. Maximal oxygen intake as an objective measurement of cardiorespiratory performance. J Appl Physiol 1955; 8: 73–80PubMed
16.
Bruce RA, Blackman JR, Jones JW. Exercise testing in normal subjects and cardiac patients. Pediatrics 1963; 32: 742–5PubMed
17.
Costill DL, Thomason H, Roberts E. Fractional utilization of aerobic capacity during distance running. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1973; 5: 248–52
18.
Lucia A, Pardo J, Durantez A, et al. Physiological differences between professional and elite road cyclists. Int J Sports Med 1998; 19: 342–8PubMedCrossRef
19.
Cosgrove MJ, Wilson J, Watt D, et al. The relationship between selected physiological variables of rowers and rowing performance as determined by a 2000m ergometer test. J Sports Sci 1999; 17: 845–52PubMedCrossRef
20.
Weston AR, Myburgh KH, Lindsay HL et al. Skeletal muscle buffering capacity and endurance performance after high-intensity interval training by well-trained cyclists. Euro J Appl Physiol 1997; 75: 7–13CrossRef
21.
Bentley DJ, Wilson GJ, Davie AJ, et al. Correlations between peak power output, muscular strength and cycle time trial performance in triathletes. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 1998; 38: 201–7PubMed
22.
Noakes TD, Myburgh KH, Schall R. Peak treadmill running velocity during the V̇O2max test predicts running performance. J Sport Sci 1990; 8: 35–45CrossRef
23.
Howley JA, Noakes TD. Peak power output predicts maximal oxygen uptake and performance time in trained cyclists. Eur J Appl Physiol 1992; 65: 79–83CrossRef
24.
Balmer J, Davison RC, Bird SR. Peak power predicts performance power during an outdoor 16.1-km cycling time trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 1485–90PubMedCrossRef
25.
Scott BE, Houmard JA. Peak running velocity is highly related to distance running performance. Int J Sports Med 1994; 15: 504–7PubMedCrossRef
26.
Ebert TR, Martin DT, McDonald W, et al. Power output during women’s world cup road cycle racing. For J Appl Physiol 2005; 95: 529–36CrossRef
27.
28.
Padilla S, Mujika I, Orbananos J. Exercise intensity during competition time trials in professional road cycling. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 850–6PubMedCrossRef
29.
Kuipers H, Verstappen FTJ, Keizer HA, et al. Variability of aerobic performance in the laboratory and its physiologic correlates. Int J Sports Med 1985; 6: 197–201PubMedCrossRef
30.
Balmer J, Davison RC, Bird SR. The reliability of an air braked ergoneter to record peak power output during a maximal cycling test. Med Sci Sports Exer 2000; 32: 1790–3CrossRef
31.
Brooks GA. Anaerobic threshold: review of the concept and directions for future research. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1985; 17: 22–34PubMed
32.
Loot CE, Rhodes EC. Relationship between the lactate and ventilatory thresholds during prolonged exercise. Sports Med 1993; 15: 104–15CrossRef
33.
Svedahl K, Macintosh BR. Anaerobic threshold: the concept and methods of measurement. Can J Appl Physiol 2003; 28: 299–323PubMedCrossRef
34.
Yoshida T, Chida M, Ichioka M, et al. Blood lactate parameters related to aerobic capacity and endurance performance. Eur J Appl Physiol 1987; 56: 7–11CrossRef
35.
Thoden JS. Testing aerobic power. In: MacDougall D, Wenger HA, Green HJ, editors. Physiological testng of the high-performance athlete. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 1991: 131–46
36.
Beaver WL, Wasserman K, Whipp BJ. Improved detection of lactate threshold during exercise using a log-log transformation. J Appl Physiol 1985; 59: 1936–40PubMed
37.
Cheng B, Kuipers H, Snyder AC, et al. A new approach for the determination of ventilatory and lactate thresholds. Int J Sports Med 1992; 13: 518–22PubMedCrossRef
38.
Kindermann W, Simon G, Knot J. The significance of the aerobic-anaerobic transition for the determination of workload intensities during endurance training. Eur J Appl Physiol 1979; 42: 25–34CrossRef
39.
Beneke R. Anaerobic threshold, individual anaerobic threshold, and maximal lactate steady state in rowing. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1995; 27: 863–7PubMed
40.
Urhausen A, Coen B, Weiler B, et al. Individual anaerobic threshold and maximum lactate steady state. Int J Sports Med 1993; 14: 134–9PubMedCrossRef
41.
Stegmann H, Kindermann W. Comparison of prolonged exercise tests at the individual anaerobic threshold and the fixed anaerobic threshold of 4 mmol/L lactate. Int J Sports Med 1982; 3: 105–10PubMedCrossRef
42.
Grant S, McMillan K, Newell J, et al. Reproducibility of the blood lactate threshold, 4 mmoFL marker, heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion during incremental treadmill exercise in humans. Eur J Appl Physiol 2002; 87: 159–66PubMedCrossRef
43.
Wasserman K, Whipp BJ, Koyal SN, et al. Anaerobic threshold and respiratory gas exchange during exercise. J Appl Physiol 1973; 35: 236–43PubMed
44.
Davis JA. Anaerobic threshold: review of the concept and directions for future research. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1985; 17: 6–21PubMed
45.
Meyer T, Lucia A, Earnest CP, et al. A conceptual framework for performance diagnosis and training prescription from submaximal gas exchange parameters: theory and application. Int J Sports Med 2005; 26 Suppl. 1: S38–48PubMedCrossRef
46.
Laursen PB, Rhodes EC, Langill RH, et al. Relationship of exercise test variables to cycling performance in an ironman triathlon. Eur J Appl Physiol 2002; 87: 433–40PubMedCrossRef
47.
Lucia A, Hoyos J, Carvajal A, et al. Heart rate response to professional road cycling: the Tour de France. Int J Sports Med 1999; 20: 167–72PubMedCrossRef
48.
Amann M, Subudhi AW, Walker J, et al. An evaluation of the predictive validity and reliability of ventilatory threshold. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36: 1716–22PubMedCrossRef
49.
Weston SB, Gabbett TJ. Reproducibility of ventilation of thresholds in trained cyclists during ramp cycle exercise. J Sci Med Sport 2001; 4: 357–66PubMedCrossRef
50.
Dickhuth HH, Yin L, Niess A, et al. Ventilatory, lactate-derived and catecholarrine thresholds during incremental treadmill running: relationship and reproducibility. But J Sports Med 1999; 20: 122–7
51.
Simon J, Young JL, Blood DK, et al. Plasma lactate and ventilation thresholds in trained and untrained cyclists. J Appl Physiol 1986; 60: 777–81PubMed
52.
Neary PJ, MacDougall JD, Bachus R, et al. The relationship between lactate and ventilatory thresholds: coincidental or cause and effect? Eur J Appl Physiol 1985; 54: 10–48CrossRef
53.
von Duvillard SP, LeMura LM, Bacharach DW, et al. Determination of lactate threshold by respiratory gas exchange measures and blood lactate levels during incremental load work. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1993; 16: 312–8
54.
Simon J, Young JL, Gutin B, et al. Lactate accumulation relative to the anaerobic and respiratory compensation thresholds. J Appl Physiol 1983; 54: 13–7PubMed
55.
Hughson RL, Green HJ, Sharratt MT. Gas exchange, blood lactate, and plasma catecholamunes during incremental exercise in hypoxia and normoxia. J Appl Physiol 1995; 79: 1134–41PubMed
56.
Davis JA, Caiozzo VJ, Lamara N, et al. Does the gas exchange anaerobic threshold occur at a fixed blood lactate concentration of 2 or 4mM? Eur J Sports Med 1983; 4: 89–93
57.
McLellan TM. Ventilatory and plasma lactate response with different exercise protocols: a comparison of methods. Eur J Sports Med 1985; 6: 30–5
58.
Coyle EF, Coggan AR, Hopper MK, et al. Determinants of endurance in well-trained cyclists. J Appl Physiol 1988; 64: 2622–30PubMed
59.
Coyle EF, Feltner ME, Kautz SA, et al. Physiological and biomechanical factors associated with elite endurance cycling performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1991; 23: 93–107PubMed
60.
Loftin M, Warren B. Comparison of a simulated 16.1-km fine trial, V̇O2max and related factors in cyclists with different ventilatory thresholds. Int J Sports Med 1994; 15: 498–503PubMedCrossRef
61.
Gilman MB, Wells CL. The use of heart rates to monitor exercise intensity in relation to metabolic variables. Eur J Sports Med 1993; 14: 33944
62.
Robinson DM, Robinson SM, Home PA, et al. Training intensity in elite male distance runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1991; 23: 1078–82PubMed
63.
Kenefick RW, Mattern CO, Mahoord NV, et al. Physiological variables at lactate threshold under-represent cycling tirre-trial intensity. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2002; 42: 396–402PubMed
64.
Hoogeveen AR, Schep G. The plasma lactate response to exercise and endurance performance: relationships in elite triathletes. Int J Sports Med 1997; 18: 526–30PubMedCrossRef
65.
Torrey S, Grappe F, Girard A, et al. Physiological and metabolic responses of triathletes to a sirruilated 30-min tirre-trial in cycling at self-selected intensity. Eur J Sports Med 2003; 24: 138–43
66.
Laursen PB, Knox WL, Shing CM, et al. Relationship between laboratory-measured variables and heart rate during an ultra-endurance triathlon. J Sports Sci 2005; 23: 1111–20PubMedCrossRef
67.
Coyle EF, Martin WH, Ehsani AA, et al. Blood lactate threshold in some well-trained ischemic heart disease patients. J Appl Physiol 1983; 54: 18–23PubMedCrossRef
68.
Sabapathy S, Morris NR, Schneider DA. Ventilatory and gasexchange responses to incremental exercise performed with reduced muscle glycogen content. J Sci Med Sport 2006; 9: 267–73PubMedCrossRef
69.
McLellan TM, Gass GC. The relationship between the ventilation and lactate thresholds following normal, low and high carbohydrate diets. Fort J Appl Physiol 1989; 58: 568–76CrossRef
70.
Hughes EF, Turner SC, Brook GA. Effects of glycogen depletion and pedaling speed on “anaerobic threshold”. J Appl Physiol 1982; 52: 1598–607PubMed
71.
Yoshida T. Effect of dietary modifications on lactate threshold and onset of blood lactate accumulation during incremental exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 1984; 53: 200–5CrossRef
72.
Langfort JL, Zarzeczny R, Nazar K, et al. The effect of lowcarbohydrate diet on the pattern of hormonal changes during incremental, graded exercise in young men. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2001; 11: 248–57PubMed
73.
Faria EW, Parker DL, Faria EE. The science of cycling: physiology and training. Part 1. Sports Med 2005; 35: 285–312PubMedCrossRef
74.
Bentley DJ, McNaughton LR. Comparison of W(peak), V̇O2 (peak) and the ventilation threshold from two different incremental exercise tests: relationship to endurance performance. J Sci Med Sport 2003; 6: 422–35PubMedCrossRef
75.
Hansen JE, Casaburi R, Cooper DM, et al. Oxygen uptake as related to increment during cycle ergorneter exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 1988; 57: 140–5CrossRef
76.
Foxdal P, Sjodin A, Ostman B, et al. The effect of different blood sampling sites and analyses on the relationship between exercise intensity and 4.0 mmol/L blood lactate concentration. Eur J Appl Physiol 1991; 63: 52–4CrossRef
77.
Foxdal P, Sjoddin B, Sjodin A, et al. The validity and accuracy of blood lactate measurements for prediction of maximal endurance running capacity: dependency of analysed blood media in combination with different designs of the exercise test. Int J Sports Med 1994; 15: 89–95PubMedCrossRef
78.
Foxdal P, Sjoddin A, Sjoddin B. Comparison of blood lactate concentrations obtained during incremental and constant intensity exercise. Int J Sports Med 1996; 17: 360–5PubMedCrossRef
79.
Yoshida T. Effect of exercise duration during incremental exercise on the determ ination of anaerobic threshold and the onset of blood lactate accumulation. Eur J Appl Physiol 1984; 53: 196–9CrossRef
80.
Pfitzinger P, Freedson PS. The reliability of lactate measurements during exercise. Eur J Sports Med 1998; 19: 349-57
81.
Smith EW, Skelton MS, Kremer DE, et al. Lactate distribution in the blood during steady-state exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998; 30: 1424–9PubMed
82.
Froeficher VF, Brammell H, Davis G, et al. A comparison of three maximal treadmill exercise protocols. J Appl Physiol 1974; 36: 720–5
83.
Whipp BJ, Davis JA, Torrse F, et al. A test to determine parameters of anaerobic function during exercise. J Appl Physiol 1981; 50: 217–22PubMed
84.
Buchfuhrer MJ, Hansen JE, Robinson TE, et al. Optimusing the exercise protocol for cardiopulmonary assessment. J Appl Physiol 1983; 55: 1558–64PubMed
85.
Stockhausen W, Grathwohl D, Burklin C, et al. Stage duration and increase of work load in incremental testing on a cycle ergometer. Eur J Appl Physiol 1997; 76: 295–301CrossRef
86.
Yoshida T. A comparison of lactate threshold andonset ofblood lactate accumulation during two kinds of duration of incremental exercises. Ann Physiol Anthropol 1986; 5: 211–6PubMedCrossRef
87.
Kim SW, Ichimaru N, Kakimaru M, et al. Effect of workload durations in progressive exercise relationships between blood lactate and anaerobic thresholds. Ann Physiol Anthropol 1988; 7: 151–7PubMedCrossRef
88.
Coen B, Urhausen A, Kindermann W. Individual anaerobic threshold: methodological aspects of its assessmentin running. Int J Sports Med 2000; 22: 8–16CrossRef
89.
Amann M, Subudhi A, Foster C. Influence oftesting protocol on ventilatory thresholds and cycling performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36: 613–22PubMedCrossRef
90.
Bishop D, Jenkins DG, Mackinnon LT. The effect of stage duration on the calculation of peak V̇O2 during cycle ergorretry. J Sci Med Sport 1998; 1: 171–8PubMedCrossRef
91.
McNaughton LR, Roberts S, Bentley DJ. Predicting performance in a short distance cycling time trial: effects of incremental exercise test design. J Strength Cond Res 2005; 20: 157–61
92.
Pierce SJ, Hahn AG, Davie A, et al. Prolonged incremental tests do not necessarily compromise V̇O2max in well framed athletes. J Sci Med Sport 1999; 2: 356–63PubMedCrossRef
93.
Baldwin J, Snow RJ, Febbraio MA. Effect of training status and relative exercise intensity on physiological responses in men. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 1648–54PubMed
94.
Bentley DJ, McNaughton LR, Batterham AM. Prolonged stage duration during incremental cycle exercise: effects on the lactate threshold and onset of blood lactate accumulation. Eur J Appl Physiol 2001; 85: 351–7PubMedCrossRef
95.
Wellman A, Snead D, Stein P, et al. Reliability and validity of a continuous incremental treadmill protocol for the determination of lactate threshold, fixed blood lactate concentrations and V̇O2max. Int J Sports Med 1990; 11: 26–32CrossRef
96.
Weston SB, Gray AB, Schneider DA, et al. Effect of ramp slope on ventilation thresholds and V̇O2peak in male cyclists. Int J Sports Med 2002; 23: 227CrossRef
97.
Bentley DJ, McNaughton LR. Incremental exercise test design, the lactate threshold and cycle finno-trial performance. J Sports Sci 2002; 20: 15–6
98.
Morton RH. Detection of a lactate threshold during incremental exercise? J Appl Physiol 1989; 67: 885–8PubMed
99.
Lundberg MA, Hughson RL, Weisiger KH, et al. Computerized estimation of lactate threshold. Comput Biomed Res 1986; 19: 481–6PubMedCrossRef
100.
Newell J, Einbeck J, Madden N, et al. Using functional data analysis to summarise and interpret lactate curves. Comput Biol Med 2006; 36: 262–75PubMedCrossRef
101.
Heck H, Mader A, Hess G, et al. Justification of the 4 mmoFL lactate threshold. Int J Sports Med 1985; 6: 117-30PubMedCrossRef
102.
Newell J, Embeck J, Madden M, et al. Model free endurance markers based on the second derivative of blood lactate curves. Proceedings of the 20th International Workshop on Statistical Modelling; 2005 Jul 10–15; Sydney (NSW), 357–64
103.
Ranrsey JO, Silverman BW. Functional data analysis. New York: Springer, 1997
Metadata
Title
Incremental Exercise Test Design and Analysis
Implications for Performance Diagnostics in Endurance Athletes
Authors
Dr David J. Bentley
John Newell
David Bishop
Publication date
01-07-2007
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Sports Medicine / Issue 7/2007
Print ISSN: 0112-1642
Electronic ISSN: 1179-2035
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200737070-00002

Other articles of this Issue 7/2007

Sports Medicine 7/2007 Go to the issue

Review Article

A Brief Review of the Use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy with Particular Interest in Resistance Exercise

Leading Article

The Influence of Oral Contraceptives on Athletic Performance in Female Athletes

Review Article

Physiological Aspects of Soccer Refereeing Performance and Training

Review Article

Tibial Rotation in Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)-Deficient and ACL-Reconstructed Knees

Review Article

Physical Activity, Calcium Intake and Bone Health in Children and Adolescents