Monitoring Vo sub(2)Max During Fourteen Weeks of Endurance Training Using the Cardiocoach

This study evaluated the validity of the desktop CardioCoach metabolic system to measure VO sub(2)max and VEmax. Sixteen subjects (mean age = 19.5 +/- 3.2 years) completed 2 maximal graded exercise tests following the same protocol before and after 7 and 14 weeks of endurance training. Subjects' VO sub(2)max and VEmax were measured by either the CardioCoach or the ParvoMedics TrueOne 2400 metabolic measurement system (TrueOne). An alpha level of significance of p < 0.05 was maintained for all statistical analyses. The time to test completion and the final treadmill grade of the exercise tests performed by both the CardioCoach and the TrueOne increased over the 3 testing periods, confirming an improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness resulting from the 14 weeks of training. A linear growth curve analysis indicated that there were statistically significant differences between VO sub(2)max (ml.kg super(-1).min super(-1)) as measured by the TrueOne and the CardioCoach before (44.4 +/- 5.0 and 49.3 +/- 5.4) and after 7 weeks (46.0 +/- 5.2 and 48.2 +/- 5.4) of training but not after 14 weeks of training (47.8 +/- 5.6 and 48.4 +/- 5.2). Significant differences also existed in VEmax (L.min super(-1)) as measured by the TrueOne and the CardioCoach before (76.8 +/- 17.7 and 71.9 +/- 13.7), after 7 weeks (81.4 +/- 16.2 and 72.8 +/- 14.1), and after 14 weeks (86.8 +/- 19.4 and 74.2 +/- 13.1) of training. Although significant growth of VO sub(2)max (0.24 ml.kg super(-1).min super(-1).wk super(-1)) and VEmax (0.71 L.min super(-1).wk super(-1)) was measured by the TrueOne over 14 weeks of training, the CardioCoach was unable to detect growth in VO sub(2)max (-0.02 ml.kg super(-1).min super(-1).wk super(-1)) or VEmax (0.17 L.min super(-1).wk super(-1)). This study indicates that the CardioCoach did not accurately measure or monitor changes in VO sub(2)max or VEmax resulting from training.