A computer linear regression model to determine ventilatory anaerobic threshold.
The anaerobic threshold has generally been determined by simple visual inspection of ventilation or other gas-exchange data obtained during incremental exercise. To establish objective criteria for the determination of anaerobic threshold, a computer algorithm has been developed that models the ventilatory response to exercise using multisegment linear regression. The best-fit regression model is chosen by minimizing the pooled residual sum of squares . The anaerobic threshold is reported as the first break point in that model. The computer-determined anaerobic threshold values for 37 subjects were compared with subjectively determined values as chosen by four independent observers. The observers' estimates, when pooled to yield a single a single value for each subject, gave a mean value for the gas-exchange anaerobic threshold of 2.26 +/- 0.69 l/min. The estimates by the computer method averaged 2.21 +/- 0.65 l/min. The correlation coefficient for these two methods was 0.94.
D000328:Adult; D003201:Computers; D004056:Differential Threshold; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012119:Respiration