Kaminsky LA; Harber MP; Imboden MT; Arena R; Myers J;

Medicine And Science In Sports And Exercise [Med Sci Sports Exerc] 2018 Aug 07. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Aug 07.

Purpose: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) provides valuable clinical information, including peak ventilation (VEpeak), which has been shown to have diagnostic and prognostic value in the assessment of patients with underlying pulmonary disease. This report provides reference standards for VEpeak derived from CPX on treadmills in apparently healthy individuals.
Methods: Nine laboratories in the United States experienced in CPX administration with established quality control procedures contributed to the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database from 2014 to 2017. Data from 5232 maximal exercise tests from men and women without cardiovascular or pulmonary disease were used to create percentiles of VEpeak for both men and women by decade between 20-79 years. Additionally, prediction equations were developed for VEpeak using descriptive information.
Results: VEpeak was found to be significantly different between men and women and across age groups (p<0.05). The rate of decline in VEpeak was 8.0%/decade for both men and women. A stepwise regression model of 70% of the sample revealed sex, age, and height were significant predictors of VEpeak. The equation was cross-validated with data from the remaining 30% of the sample with a final equation developed from the full sample (r=0.73). Additionally, a linear regression model revealed forced expiratory volume in one second significantly predicted VEpeak (r=0.73).
Conclusions: Reference standards were developed for VEpeak for the United States population. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing laboratories will be able to provide interpretation of VEpeak from these age and sex specific percentile reference values or alternatively can use these non-exercise prediction equations incorporating sex, age, and height or with a single predictor of forced expiratory volume in one second.