VO(2) Reserve vs. Heart Rate Reserve During Moderate Intensity Treadmill Exercise

VO(2) and heart rate (HR) are widely used when determining appropriate training intensities for clinical, healthy, and athletic populations. It has been shown that if the % reserve (%R) is used, rather than % of max, HR and VO(2) can be used interchangeably to accurately prescribe exercise intensities. Thus, heart rate reserve (HRR) can be prescribed if VO(2) reserve (VO(2)R) is known. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare VO(2) R and HRR during moderate intensity exercise (50%R). Physically active college students performed a maximal treadmill test to exhaustion. During which VO(2) and HR were monitored to determine max values. Upon completion of the maximal test, calculations were made to determine the % grade expected to yield approximately 50% of the subjects VO(2)R. Subjects then returned to complete the submaximal test (50%R) at least two days later. The %VO(2)R and %HRR were calculated and compared to the predicted value as well as to each other. Statistical analysis revealed that VO(2) at 50%R was significantly greater than the actual VO(2) achieved, p < .001. Conversely, the mean predicted HR at 50%R was significantly less than the actual HR achieved, p < .001. In conclusion, this study indicated that VO(2) could be more accurately predicted than HR during moderate intensity exercise. The weak correlation between VO(2)R and HRR indicates that caution should be used when relying on a HR to determine VO(2).