VO2 Estimation Equation Accuracy to Young Adults

B Objective: analyze the agreement of the V̇O2max values estimated by American College of Sports Medicine‎ and Foster equations with direct measure gas analyze in young Brazilian males. The maximal oxygen uptake, as a health indicator and mortality predictor, can be assessed in different ways. The gold standard comprises the direct measurement of exhaled gases, which entails high cost. A more conveniently form can be estimation equations. Materials and methods: this study assessed VO2max of 41 young Brazilian males (21.4 ±2.2 years) by cardiopulmonary exercise test in a treadmill ergometer with a ramp protocol. Bland and Altman analysis was performed to verify the agreement between V̇O2max measured and estimated values by ACSM and Foster equations. Results: the measured VO2max was 52.3 ± 4.9 ml.kg-1.min-1. The difference between the measured V̇O2max and the estimated V̇O2max by the ACSM equation (9.40±3.67) was approximately 7.5 times greater than the difference between the measured V̇O2max and estimated V̇O2max by Foster's equation (1.25±3.46). Bland Altman graphics shows that only ACSM equation had mean differences that were significantly different from the measured value. Conclusions: the ACSM equation showed not appropriate for during treadmill stress testing young adults in a ramp protocol and Foster equation seems to be a more accurate estimator of V̇O2max for this population, besides showed a bias along the aerobic capacity, trending to overestimates and underestimates V̇O2max of least and most fit people, respectively.