Wiecha S; Price S; Cieslinski I; Kasiak PS; Tota L; Ambrozy T; Sliz D

International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health
[Electronic Resource]. 19(3), 2022 02 06.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a treadmill (TE) or cycle
ergometry (CE) is a common method in sports diagnostics to assess
athletes’ aerobic fitness and prescribe training. In a triathlon, the gold
standard is performing both CE and TE CPET. The purpose of this research
was to create models using CPET results from one modality to predict
results for the other modality. A total of 152 male triathletes (age =
38.20 +/- 9.53 year; BMI = 23.97 +/- 2.10 kg.m-2) underwent CPET on TE and
CE, preceded by body composition (BC) analysis. Speed, power, heart rate
(HR), oxygen uptake (VO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), ventilation
(VE), respiratory frequency (fR), blood lactate concentration (LA) (at the
anaerobic threshold (AT)), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and
maximum exertion were measured. Random forests (RF) were used to find the
variables with the highest importance, which were selected for multiple
linear regression (MLR) models. Based on R2 and RF variable selection, MLR
equations in full, simplified, and the most simplified forms were created
for VO2AT, HRAT, VO2RCP, HRRCP, VO2max, and HRmax for CE (R2 = 0.46-0.78)
and TE (R2 = 0.59-0.80). By inputting only HR and power/speed into the RF,
MLR models for practical HR calculation on TE and CE (both R2 = 0.41-0.75)
were created. BC had a significant impact on the majority of CPET
parameters. CPET parameters can be accurately predicted between CE and TE
testing. Maximal parameters are more predictable than submaximal. Only HR
and speed/power from one testing modality could be used to predict HR for
another. Created equations, combined with BC analysis, could be used as a
method of choice in comprehensive sports diagnostics.