A new incremental test for VO2max accurate measurement by increasing VO2max plateau duration, allowing the investigation of its limiting factors

The purpose of this study was to (1) validate a new exercise protocol for accurate measurement of V O 2max by obtention of a V O 2max plateau for all subjects fit and unfit (2) test the hypothesis that V O 2max plateau duration is not correlated with V O 2max and (3) verify that limiting factors of V O 2max plateau duration are different from those of V O 2max amplitude. Therefore, 14 subjects performed two incremental cycling tests: (1) a classical incremental test (CIT) to determine V O 2max , the power at V O 2max (P V O 2max ) and at the lactate threshold (PLT) (2) a new incremental test (NIT) in which the power was decreased just after the subject reached V O 2max . During both protocols, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, the arterio-venous difference and the oxygen blood saturation were recorded. The results showed that, with the NIT, subject could maintain a long V O 2max plateau (6 ± 3 min), even those who could not reach V O 2max plateau at the end of CIT ( n = 5). The V O 2max plateau duration was not correlated with V O 2max amplitude which was correlated with the power at SV max ( r = 0.888, p