Estimation of minute ventilation by heart rate for field exercise studies

The aim of this study was to develop predictive equations for minute ventilation based on heart rate, and to test the precision of the equations in two forms of endurance exercise. Eighteen men (age 27.8 ± 5.4 years old, maximal oxygen uptake 45.4 ± 8.3 ml·kg(−1)·min(−1)) performed a maximal progressive cycle test in which minute ventilation and heart rate were continually measured and further used to establish the proposed equations with quadratic and exponential adjustments. In the second and third laboratory visits, sixteen participants completed two cycling bouts, one high-intensity interval exercise and one low-intensity continuous exercise. The minute ventilation and heart rate were measured in both exercises and the validity of the equations tested. The Bland-Altman analysis showed agreement between the minute ventilation and estimated equations for interval and continuous exercise. There was no difference between the minute ventilation obtained from both equations and the minute ventilation directly measured during the interval exercise. However, the quadratic equation underestimated the minute ventilation during continuous exercise (p < 0.05). While both equations seem to be suitable to estimate minute ventilation during high-intensity interval exercise, the exponential equation is recommended for low-intensity continuous exercise.