A new proposal to guide velocity and inclination in the ramp protocol for the treadmill ergometer

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To suggest criteria to guide protocol prescription in ramp treadmill testing, according to sex and age, based on velocity, inclination, and max VO2 reached by the population studied. METHODS: Prospective study describing heart rate (HR), time, velocity, inclination, and VO2 estimated at maximum effort of 1840 individuals from 4 to 79 years old, who performed a treadmill test (TT) according to the ramp protocol. A paired Student t test was used to assess the difference between predicted and reached max VO2, calculated according to the formulas of the "American College of Sports Medicine". RESULTS: Submaximal HR was surpassed in 90.1% of the examinations, with a mean time of 10.0±2.0 minute. Initial and peak inclination velocity of the exercise and max VO2 were inversely proportional to age and were greater in male patients. Predicted Max VO2 was significantly lower than that reached in all patients, except for female children and adolescents (age < 20 years old). CONCLUSION: Use of velocity, inclination, and maximum VO2 actually reached, as a criterion in prescribing the ramp protocol may help in the performance of exercise in treadmill testing. The ramp protocol was well accepted in all age groups and sexes with exercise time within the programmed 8 to 12 minutes

Avaliação da capacidade máxima de exercício: uma revisão sobre os protocolos tradicionais e a evolução para modelos individualizados

“…The technological advances enabled that the ramp protocol came out as a new proposal since it could work elements which constitute a protocol (increment ratio, time remaining on each load, velocity, inclination and total time of the test) in a more harmonious manner (10,14,32,43,44) . Such situation occurs because from the moment it is possible to determine initial and final velocities, test time and increment and inclination ratios, it is possible to individualize the test.…”

“…The technological advance in the manufacturing of treadmills and development of software spread and allowed the use of ramp protocols more easily (11,14,23,25,(43)(44)(45)(46) . This spread reflected on the recommendations of documents published by normative agencies, dedicated to the application of tests and prescription of exercises in general (6,13,33,34) .…”

“…Even though, the questionnaire remained being widely used, validated only seven years after it had come out (48) . Analyzing further investigation which made use of ramp protocols, it is observed that in the majority, the adopted criterion to design them was the previous application of a maximal exercise test (Table 2) (9,11,14,43,46,(49)(50)(51) . The choice of a protocol greatly occurs due to its applicability.…”

“…It is obtained by the application of an exercise cardiorespiratory test consisted of a non-invasive measurement strictly associated with the functional conditions (7)(8)(9) . It is also a clinical variable of epidemiological exposure able of diagnosis and prognostics of cardiovascular disease (8,(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) . The clinical use of the functional capacity test has a long story.…”

Ventilatory abnormalities in patients with cystic fibrosis undergoing the submaximal treadmill exercise test

“…The exercise stress test has been increasingly used to assess the level of exercise intolerance in patients with heart and lung diseases. This test is considered the gold standard for the study of exercise limitations and their causes [ 9 , 10 ].…”