title: The incidence of training responsiveness to cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic measurements following individualized and standardized exercise prescription: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: There is individual variability to cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) training, but the underlying cause is not well understood. Traditionally, a standardized approach to exercise prescription has utilized relative percentages of maximal heart rate, heart rate reserve (HRR), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), or VO2reserve to establish exercise intensity. However, this model fails to take into consideration individual metabolic responses to exercise and may attribute to the variability in training responses. It has been proposed that an individualized approach would take into consideration metabolic responses to exercises to increase responsiveness to training.
  
  
  
  In this randomized control trial, participants will undergo a 12-week exercise intervention using individualized (ventilatory thresholds) and standardized (HRR) methods to prescribe CRF training intensity. Following the intervention, participants will be categorized as responders or non-responders based on changes in maximal aerobic abilities. Participants who are non-responders will complete a second 12-week intervention in a crossover design to determine whether they can become responders with a differing exercise prescription. There are four main research outcomes: (1) determine the cohort-specific technical error to use in the categorization of response rate; (2) determine if an individualized intensity prescription is superior to a standard approach in regards to VO2max and cardiometabolic risk factors; (3) investigate the time course changes throughout 12 weeks of CRF training between the two intervention groups; and (4) determine if non-responders can become responders if the exercise prescription is modified.
  
  
  
  The findings from this research will provide evidence on the effectiveness of individualized exercise prescription related to training responsiveness of VO2max and cardiometabolic risk factors compared to a standardized approach and further our understanding of individual exercise responses. If the individualized approach proposed is deemed effective, it may change the way exercise specialists prescribe exercise intensity to enhance training responsiveness.
  
  
  
  ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02868710 . Registered on 15 August 2016.
authors.affiliation: Auckland University of Technology, Human Potential Centre, Auckland, New Zealand. rweatherwax@western.edu.|Department of Recreation, Exercise, and Sport Science, Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, CO, USA. rweatherwax@western.edu.
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Weatherwax
authors.affiliation: Auckland University of Technology, Human Potential Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nigel K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Auckland University of Technology, Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kilding
authors.affiliation: Department of Recreation, Exercise, and Sport Science, Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Lance C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Dalleck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000072599:Cardiorespiratory Fitness; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D012107:Research Design; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Exercise prescription; Non-responder; Primary prevention; Responder; Ventilatory threshold