Ventilatory Threshold Related to VO2reserve, Heart Rate Reserve, and Rating of Perceived Exertion in a Large Varied Sample

PURPOSE: ACSM guidelines state that aerobic exercise intensity should be 30%/40% to 89% V̇O 2 reserve (V̇O 2 R) or heart rate reserve (HRR). Determining the proper intensity within this range is the "art" of exercise prescription, often relying on rating of perceived exertion (RPE) as the adjunctive intensity modulator. Current guidelines do not consider the use of ventilatory threshold (VT) due to the need for specialized equipment and methodological issues. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate VT related to V̇O 2peak , V̇O 2 R, HRR, and RPE across the full spectrum of very low to very high V̇O 2peak values. METHODS: Eight hundred and sixty-three records of exercise tests were retrospectively examined. Data were stratified for V̇O 2peak , activity level, age, test modality, and sex. RESULTS: When stratified for V̇O 2peak , V̇O 2 at VT (V̇O 2 vt) had a lower mean value of ~14 mL·kg -1 ·min -1 in the lowest fit, rose gradually until median V̇O 2peak , and rose steeply thereafter. When graphed relative to V̇O 2peak , V̇O 2 vt as a percentage of V̇O 2 R (VT%V̇O 2 R) resembled a U-shaped curve, with a nadir ~43% V̇O 2 R at V̇O 2peak ~40 mL·kg -1 ·min -1 . Average VT%V̇O 2 R increased to ~75% in groups with the lowest or highest V̇O 2peak . There was a large variance in the value of VT at all V̇O 2peak levels. Mean RPE at VT was 12.5 ± 0.93, regardless of V̇O 2peak . CONCLUSIONS: Given the relationship of VT as the transition from moderate- to higher-intensity exercise, these data may help the understanding of aerobic exercise prescription in persons across the spectrum of V̇O 2peak values.