title: Incremental exercise tests in master athletes and untrained older adults.
abstract: This study aimed to analyze the impact of step-duration protocols, 1-min vs. 3-min, on cardiorespiratory responses to exercise, whatever the aerobic-fitness level of sedentary (65.5 +/- 2.3 years, n = 8) or highly fit (63.1 +/- 3.2 years, n = 19) participants. Heart rate and VO2 at the first and second ventilatory thresholds (VT1 ,VT2) and maximal exercise were not significantly different between the two protocols. In master athletes, the 3-min protocol elicited significantly lower ventilation at VT2 and maximal exercise (p < .01). In the latter, breathlessness was also lower at maximal exercise (p < .05) than in sedentary participants. In trained or sedentary older adults, VT1, VT2, and were not influenced by stage duration. According to the lower breathlessness and ventilation, however, the 3-min step protocol could be more appropriate in master athletes. In untrained participants, because the cardiorespiratory responses were similar with the two incremental exercise tests, either of them could be used.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education Sciences, University of Lille, Ronchin, France.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Deruelle
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nourry
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mucci
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bart
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Grosbois
authors.forename: Ghislane
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lensel
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabre
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D013147:Spirometry