Why the study?
The study was conducted to investigate the specificity effect of two different treadmill protocols on VO2max and compare the ventilatory threshold attained as a percent of VO2max in highly-trained distance runners.
Does an inclined treadmill protocol compared to a horizontal protocol affect maximal oxygen consumption in highly-trained distance runners?
Does an inclined treadmill protocol compared to a horizontal protocol affect maximal oxygen consumption in highly-trained distance runners?
In highly-trained distance runners, an inclined treadmill protocol yields higher VO2max values than a horizontal protocol, though both can determine the percent VO2max at ventilatory threshold.
Clinicians should account for treadmill protocol when interpreting VO2max in runners; leaves open optimal standardization for performance assessment.
The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the specificity effect of two different treadmill protocols on maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) in highly-trained distance runners (n=16). The secondary purpose examined if the ventilatory threshold (VT) attained during different protocols occurred at the same percent of VO2max (% VO2max @ VT). After a familiarization session performing the Bruce Protocol, VO2max was evaluated using two graded treadmill protocols; a horizontal (increment in speed only) (SOVO2max) and inclined (constant speed with increment in grade only) (GOVO2max). VO2max values were significantly higher from the GOVO2max in comparison to the SOVO2max protocol (76.1 and 71.2 mLO2/kg/min, p=. 005). The % VO2max @ VT was not significantly different between the GOVO2max and SOVO2max protocols. The results indicate that, based on runner specialty (flat versus hill runners), either SOVO2max or GOVO2max protocols can be used to determine the % VO2max @ VT in highly-trained distance runners.
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Ryan Adam Vanhoy (2019) studied this question.
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