Verification of Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Active Military Personnel During Treadmill Running

Figueiredo, PS, Looney, DP, Pryor, JL, Doughty, EM, McClung, HL, Vangala, SV, Santee, WR, Beidleman, BA, and Potter, AW. Verification of maximal oxygen uptake in active military personnel during treadmill running. J Strength Cond Res 36(4): 1053–1058, 2022—It is unclear whether verification tests are required to confirm “true” maximal oxygen uptake (V̇o(2)max) in modern warfighter populations. Our study investigated the prevalence of V̇o(2)max attainment in U.S. Army soldiers performing a traditional incremental running test. In addition, we examined the utility of supramaximal verification testing as well as repeated trials for familiarization for accurate V̇o(2)max assessment. Sixteen U.S. Army soldiers (1 woman, 15 men; age, 21 ± 2 years; height, 1.73 ± 0.06 m; body mass, 71.6 ± 10.1 kg) completed 2 laboratory visits, each with an incremental running test (modified Astrand protocol) and a verification test (110% maximal incremental test speed) on a motorized treadmill. We evaluated V̇o(2)max attainment during incremental testing by testing for the definitive V̇O(2) plateau using a linear least-squares regression approach. Peak oxygen uptake (V̇o(2)peak) was considered statistically equivalent between tests if the 90% confidence interval around the mean difference was within ±2.1 ml·kg(−1)·min(−1). Oxygen uptake plateaus were identified in 14 of 16 volunteers for visit 1 (87.5%) and all 16 volunteers for visit 2 (100%). Peak oxygen uptake was not statistically equivalent, apparent from the mean difference in V̇o(2)peak measures between the incremental test and verification test on visit 1 (2.3 ml·kg(−1)·min(−1), [1.3–3.2]) or visit 2 (1.1 ml·kg(−1)·min(−1) [0.2–2.1]). Interestingly, V̇o(2)peak was equivalent, apparent from the mean difference in V̇o(2)peak measures between visits for the incremental tests (0.0 ml·kg(−1)·min(−1) [−0.8 to 0.9]) but not the verification tests (−1.2 ml·kg(−1)·min(−1) [−2.2 to −0.2]). Modern U.S. Army soldiers can attain V̇o(2)max by performing a modified Astrand treadmill running test. Additional familiarization and verification tests for confirming V̇o(2)max in healthy active military personnel may be unnecessary.