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The conventional Douglas bag calculation for estimating O2 uptake (VO2) during exercise in normoxia and hyperoxia, VO2 = VE . (FIO2 . FEN2/FIN2 - FEO2), was tested against two other valid calculations: the Fick equation, VO2 = VI . FIO2 - VE . FEO2, and the equation VO2 = VI - VE - VCO2 (VE and VI are expired and inspired ventilation, respectively; FEO2 and FIO2 are expired and inspired O2 contents, respectively; FEN2 and FIN2 are expired and inspired N2 contents, respectively; and VCO2 is CO2 production.). These calculations are based on different assumptions, in part, and are affected to a varying degree of errors in volume or gas fraction measurements. With the conventional Douglas bag technique, we found evidence of an overestimate of VO2 during hyperoxia. After the introduction of a mixing chamber for sampling expired air, the means of the three methods were not significantly different. The variability among the methods was least with the conventional calculation but increased with higher O2 fractions. The average VO2 for submaximal exercise in hyperoxia was not significantly different from that of normoxia. VO2 max was significantly higher in hyperoxia. The increased variability of the Douglas bag method in hyperoxia may lead to overestimates of VO2 max unless special precautions are taken.
Welch et al. (Tue,) studied this question.