title: Validation of an incremental field test for the direct assessment of peak oxygen uptake in wheelchair-dependent athletes.
abstract: The aim of this study was to validate an incremental field test performed by wheelchair-dependent (WD) athletes. Nine male paraplegic subjects (mean age 28.9 +/- 4.2 years) performed an incremental field test (FT) and a comparable laboratory test (LT) with their own usual wheelchairs. Both tests started with an initial speed of 4 km.hr(-1) and increased by increments of 1 km.hr(-1) every minute until volitional exhaustion. The FT was an adapted Léger and Boucher test (ALBT) and was conducted on a 400 m tartan field marked-off every 50 m with pylons. Ventilatory data were collected every 15 s using a portable telemetric system (Cosmed K2, JFB International, Italy). The LT was performed on an adapted treadmill (Sopur, Germany) and ventilatory data were collected every minute using a breath-by-breath automated system (CPX, Medical Graphics, MN, USA). The LT and the FT were not significantly different for duration (8 min 50 +/- 1 min 24 vs 9 min 55 +/- 29 s), percentage of maximal heart rate (HR, 86.2 +/- 3.9 vs 89.7 +/- 5.3%), maximal minute ventilation (VE, 101.6 +/- 28.5 vs 96.8 +/- 28.2 1.min(-1)) and peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak, 39.7 + 7.3 vs 36.1 + 5.8 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) assessed with the CPX and the K2, respectively. We concluded that the FT proposed in the present study is a valid test for direct VO2 peak assessment in wheelchair athletes using a portable VO2 telemetric system. Nonetheless, the Léger and Mercier model equation did not accurately predict VO2 max and further investigation is needed to determine a valid VO2 max prediction equation for these subjects during the FT.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire 'Sport, Santé, Développement', UFR STAPS, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vinet
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poulain
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varray
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Gallais
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Micallef
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D010092:Oximetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D013177:Sports; D013686:Telemetry; D014910:Wheelchairs