Incremental and decremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing protocols produce similar maximum oxygen uptake in athletes

The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the maximal oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text] O(2max)) achieved during incremental and decremental protocols in highly trained athletes. Nineteen moderate trained runners and rowers completed, on separate days, (i) an initial incremental [Formula: see text] O(2max) test (INC) on a treadmill, followed by a verification phase (VER); (ii) a familiarization of a decremental test (DEC); (iii) a tailored DEC; (iv) a test with decremental and incremental phases (DEC-INC); (v) and a repeated incremental test (INC(F)). During each test [Formula: see text] O(2), carbon dioxide production, ventilation, heart and breath rates and ratings of perceived exertion were measured. No differences were observed in [Formula: see text] O(2max) between INC (61.3 ± 5.2 ml kg(−1) min(−1)) and DEC (61.1 ± 5.1 ml kg(−1) min(−1); average difference of ~ 11.58 ml min(−1); p = 0.831), between INC and DEC-INC (60.9 ± 5.3 ml kg(−1) min(−1); average difference of ~ 4.8 ml min(−1); p = 0.942) or between INC and INC(F) (60.7 ± 4.4 ml kg(−1) min(−1); p = 0.394). [Formula: see text] O(2max) during VER (59.8 ± 5.1 ml kg(−1) min(−1)) was 1.50 ± 2.20 ml kg(−1) min(−1) lower (~ 2.45%; p = 0.008) compared with values measured during INC. The typical error in the test-to-test changes for evaluating [Formula: see text] O(2max) over the five tests was 2.4 ml kg(−1) min(−1) (95% CI 1.4–3.4 ml kg(−1) min(−1)). Decremental tests do not elicit higher [Formula: see text] O(2max) than incremental tests in trained runners and rowers, suggesting that a plateau in [Formula: see text] O(2) during the classic incremental and verification tests represents the maximum ceiling of aerobic power.