Accuracy of a Clinical Applicable Method for Prediction of VO ₂max Using Seismocardiography

Cardiorespiratory fitness measured as ˙VO2max is considered an important variable in the risk prediction of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Non-exercise ˙VO2max prediction models are applicable, but lack accuracy. Here a model for the prediction of ˙VO2max using seismocardiography (SCG) was investigated. 97 healthy participants (18-65 yrs., 51 females) underwent measurement of SCG at rest in the supine position combined with demographic data to predict ˙VO2max before performing a graded exercise test (GET) on a cycle ergometer for determination of ˙VO2max using pulmonary gas exchange measurements for comparison. Accuracy assessment revealed no significant difference between SCG and GET ˙VO2max (mean±95% CI; 38.3±1.6 and 39.3±1.6 ml·min-1·kg-1, respectively. P=0.075). Further, a Pearson correlation of r=0.73, a standard error of estimate (SEE) of 5.9 ml·min-1·kg-1, and a coefficient of variation (CV) of 8±1% were found. The SCG ˙VO2max showed higher accuracy, than the non-exercise model based on the FRIENDS study, when this was applied to the present population (bias=-3.7±1.3 ml·min-1·kg-1, p&lt;0.0001. r=0.70. SEE=7.4 ml·min-1·kg-1, and CV=12±2%). The SCG ˙VO2max prediction model is an accurate method for the determination of ˙VO2max in a healthy adult population. However, further investigation on the validity and reliability of the SCG ˙VO2max prediction model in different populations is needed for consideration of clinical applicability.</p

Extreme duration exercise affects old and younger men differently

AIM & METHODS: Extreme endurance exercise provides a valuable research model for understanding the adaptive metabolic response of older and younger individuals to intense physical activity. Here, we compare a wide range of metabolic and physiologic parameters in two cohorts of seven trained men, age 30 ± 5 years or age 65 ± 6 years, before and after the participants travelled ≈3000 km by bicycle over 15 days. RESULTS: Over the 15‐day exercise intervention, participants lost 2–3 kg fat mass with no significant change in body weight. V̇O(2)max did not change in younger cyclists, but decreased (p = 0.06) in the older cohort. The resting plasma FFA concentration decreased markedly in both groups, and plasma glucose increased in the younger group. In the older cohort, plasma LDL‐cholesterol and plasma triglyceride decreased. In skeletal muscle, fat transporters CD36 and FABPm remained unchanged. The glucose handling proteins GLUT4 and SNAP23 increased in both groups. Mitochondrial ROS production decreased in both groups, and ADP sensitivity increased in skeletal muscle in the older but not in the younger cohort. CONCLUSION: In summary, these data suggest that older but not younger individuals experience a negative adaptive response affecting cardiovascular function in response to extreme endurance exercise, while a positive response to the same exercise intervention is observed in peripheral tissues in younger and older men. The results also suggest that the adaptive thresholds differ in younger and old men, and this difference primarily affects central cardiovascular functions in older men after extreme endurance exercise