Resumen de Validity of the Wattbike 3-Minute Aerobic Test: Measurement and Estimation of V[Combining Dot Above]O2max
Nicholas J. Hanson, Cory M. Scheadler, Dimitrios Katsavelis, Michael G. Miller
The Wattbike includes a 3-minute aerobic test (3mAT) along with an estimation of V[Combining Dot Above]O2max. The estimation equation that is used is from a previous study using a different protocol and sedentary subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine whether (a) the 3mAT is able to elicit V[Combining Dot Above]O2max, and (b) whether this estimation is accurate. Thirteen cyclists (10 men; age: 29.2 +/- 10.0 years, height 178.7 +/- 8.3 cm, and mass 75.1 +/- 12.5 kg) with a range of experience volunteered for this study. At the first visit, a self-paced V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (SPV) test was performed to obtain the "true" V[Combining Dot Above]O2max. At the second session, subjects completed the 3mAT. Primary dependent variables included maximal values of oxygen consumption (V[Combining Dot Above]O2), carbon dioxide production (V[Combining Dot Above]CO2), heart rate (HR), ventilation (VE), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER). A repeated-measures analysis of variance showed no difference (p = 0.367) between V[Combining Dot Above]O2max values (3mAT estimation: 54.3 +/- 9.3 ml[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]min-1, 3mAT measured: 52.5 +/- 8.7, SPV: 54.0 +/- 9.7). Paired-samples t-tests showed that HR (p = 0.027) was higher in the SPV (184.7 +/- 10.6 vs. 180.9 +/- 6.3 b[middle dot]min-1), whereas RER and V[Combining Dot Above]CO2 were both higher in the 3mAT (1.29 +/- 0.10 vs. 1.19 +/- 0.06 and 4.92 +/- 1.01 vs. 4.62 +/- 0.98, respectively; both p < 0.05). The intraclass correlation between the V[Combining Dot Above]O2max measured from the SPV and 3mAT was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.88-0.99, p < 0.001), and between the 3mAT measured and estimated values was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.71-0.97 p < 0.001). If an athlete has access to a Wattbike, they can complete the 3mAT, receive their V[Combining Dot Above]O2max estimation, and be confident of its accuracy.
