Estimation of specific VO2max for elderly in cycle ergometer

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a specific estimation model of maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2 max) based on submaximal ventilatory indicators on a cycle ergometer test protocol in elderly men. We tested, using an incremental protocol, 181 healthy and non-athletes male volunteers, aged between 60 and 79 years old, randomly divided into two groups: group A, of estimation (n = 137), and group B, of validation (n = 44). The independent variables were: body mass in kg, second workload threshold (WT2) and heart rate at the second ventilatory threshold (VT2). The cross-validation method was used in group B, with group A serving as the basis for the model and the validation dataset. The results presented a multiple linear regression model for estimation of VO 2 max = 31.62 + 0.182 (WT2) – 0.302 (body mass) in mlO 2 /kg/min -1 ; adjusted R 2 = 0.98 and SEE = 0.682 (mlO 2 /Kg/min -1 ). The construction of this specific model for healthy and non-athletes elderly men can demonstrate that it is possible to estimate VO 2 max with a minimum error (SEE < 1.00) from indicators of ventilatory thresholds obtained in an incremental submaximal test.