title: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS COMPARING CARDIOPULMONARY EXERCISE TEST VALUES OBTAINED FROM THE ARM CYCLE AND THE LEG CYCLE RESPECTIVELY IN HEALTHY ADULTS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) assesses maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and is commonly performed on a leg cycle ergometer (LC). However, some individuals would rather perform the CPET on an arm cycle ergometer (AC).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis of the difference in VO2maxachieved by AC compared to LC in healthy adults and to explore factors that may be predictive of this difference.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro were searched in April 2015. The differences in VO2max(ACLCdiff) were pooled across studies using random effects meta-analysis and three different methods were used to estimate the ratio between the values obtained from the tests (ACLCratio).
  
  
  RESULTS
  This paper included 41 studies with a total of 581 participants. The mean ACLCdiffacross studies was 12.5 ml/kg/min and 0.89 l/min with a mean ACLCratioof 0.70. The ACLCdiffwas lower in studies with higher mean age and lower aerobic capacity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is linear association between the AC and LC values in healthy adults. The AC values were on average 70% of the LC values. The magnitude of this difference appeared to be reduced in studies on older and less active populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  3a.
authors.forename: Rasmus Tolstrup
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Lars Hermann
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of York, England.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.affiliation: Danish Knowledge Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care, University of Southern Denmark.
authors.forename: Ann-Dorthe
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Zwisler
authors.forename: Rod S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: CopenRehab, Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Langberg
keywords: Aerobic capacity; arm cycle; ergometer; exercise testing; leg cycle; meta-analysis; oxygen uptake; systematic review