Introduction
To our knowledge, no paper has examined the agreement between the treadmill and the hand ergometer. Treadmill and the hand ergometer are the two most common exercises and are used interchangeably to assess exercise tolerance.
As exercise intensity increases so does oxygen consumption reaches the point where exercise intensity can continue to increase without the associated rise in oxygen consumption. Regular physical activity during leisure time is associated with better health outcomes. Physical fitness and level of regular exercise are closely related to cardiovascular health. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, the importance of physical activity cannot be underestimated. It is the single most important endeavor that one can participate in to promote health throughout a lifetime.
Physical fitness and level of regular exercise are closely related to cardiovascular health Regular exercise leads to functional and structural adaptations that improve cardiac function. 1 Modifiable lifestyle factors, as cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and body mass, may prevent hypertension. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, the importance of physical activity cannot be underestimated. It is the single most important endeavor that one can participate in to promote health throughout a lifetime. (38)
When challenged with any physical task, the human body responds through a series of integrated changes in function that involve most, if not all, of its physiologic systems. Movement requires activation and control of the musculoskeletal system; the cardiovascular and respiratory systems provide the ability to sustain this movement over extended periods. When the body engages in exercise training several times a week or more frequently, each of these physiologic systems undergoes specific adaptations that increase the body’s efficiency and capacity.
Endurance training results in central and peripheral adaptations that markedly improve an individual's ability to perform physical work. Athletes are thus commonly assumed to be able to tolerate many kinds of physiological stressors better than non-athletes.
Movement requires activation and control of the musculoskeletal system; the cardiovascular and respiratory systems provide the ability to sustain this movement over extended periods. When the body engages in exercise training several times a week or more frequently, each of these physiologic systems undergoes specific adaptations that increase the body’s efficiency and capacity. The magnitude of these changes depends largely on the intensity and duration of the training sessions, the force or load used in training, and the body’s initial level of fitness. Removal of the training stimulus, however, will result in loss of the efficiency and capacity that was gained through these training-induced adaptations; this loss is a process called detraining.
V̇O2max gives as important guidance about the oxygen requirement of the heart per beat. As for exercise intensity increase, oxygen consumption reaches the point where exercise intensity can continue to increase without the associated rise in oxygen consumption. Therefore cardiorespiratory fitness can be a limitation for V̇O2max, which is an important component of health-related physical fitness
Methodology
Data collection
After getting approval from the medical ethics committee and permission from Dr.Priya Cholera and Dr. Kane (HOD of Cardiology) the study was initiated in the Stress Test Lab at Dr.D.Y.Patil Hospital & Research center, Nerul, Navi Mumbai. For this study, 40 athletes and non-athletes were chosen (age-group above 18 - 24 years).
Exclusion criteria
The subject should have a 2 –3 hours gap between diet and exercise.
Subject should not have a cardiorespiratory or orthopedic disease.
In this study, safety parameters chosen were age, height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory parameters were respiratory rates, peak expiratory flow rate while predictors chosen were V̇o2max.
Before the commencement of the study, the subject was asked to sign an informed consent form.
BMI of the subject was calculated by the formula-
Height was measured by a measuring tape. Weight was measured by a standard weighing machine (stadiometer).
Blood pressure and pulse were recorded by a standardized digital blood pressure monitor.
Peak expiratory flow rate was recorded by using a peak expiratory flow meter.
After signing an informed consent form, one group of 20 athletes were asked to perform treadmill and another group of 20 athletes was asked to perform hand ergography and from safety parameters, V̇o2max and was calculated, to predict correlation.
For comparison 40 non-athlete were asked to do treadmill and hand ergometer and their V̇o2max was also calculated
Treadmill
20 athletes and 20 non-athletes were asked to perform exercise on Treadmill, by using Bruce protocol for the different duration 3 times a week. (Till to get 90% of maximal, age-predicted heart-rate was achieved).2 Treadmill – intensity – 10mm/mv, frequency – 50 hertz, speed – 25 m/sec.
Hand ergography
20 athletes and 20 non-athletes were asked to perform hand ergography for 15 mins, 3 times a week. Ergograph used is Mosso's ergograph, in which there is an arrangement for fixing the hand and fingers in appropriate holders and the middle finger is put in a sling present at another end, which is to be flexed for alternate seconds. A weight of 1.5kg is attached to the cord, which acts as a tension.3 After doing each exercise -Treadmill and hand ergography, blood pressure. Pulse and respiratory rate and peak expiratory flow rate was again recorded V̇o2max was calculated as.-
V̇o2max (ml/kg/min) = 3.62 x T + 3.91 (Treadmill) (12)
V̇o2max = 15.3 x HR rest/HR max (Ergography)
Result
Table 1
|
Parameters |
Athletes |
Unpaired T-Test |
P-value |
Significant at 5% level |
|
Duration |
Athletes Ergography |
0.486 |
0.630 |
No |
|
Athletes Treadmill |
||||
|
VO2max |
Athletes Ergography |
10.139** |
<0.001 |
es |
|
Athletes Treadmill |
Table 2
|
Parameters |
Normal |
Unpaired T-Test |
P-value |
Significant at 5% level |
|
Duration |
Normal Ergography |
4.116** |
<0.001 |
Yes |
|
Normal Treadmill |
||||
|
VO2max |
Normal Ergography |
11.544** |
<0.001 |
Yes |
|
Normal Treadmill |
Table 1, Table 2 along with the graph show that a good correlation was between the effect of the treadmill and ergometer on V̇O2max (P>0.001) in athletes as compared to non-athletes (P>0.001) after estimating V̇O2max. V̇O2max was found to be much more increased in athletes as well as non-athletes performing treadmill than athletes as well as non-athletes performing hand ergometry (P>0.001).
Thus a much more correlation was found out between the effect of the treadmill through Bruce protocol and the ergometer through Mosso’s ergograph on V̇O2max in athletes as compared to non-athletes.
Discussion
This study demonstrates how V̇O2max, calculated after doing the treadmill through Bruce protocol and hand ergometer is the best parameter in athletes and non-athletes. This study indicates that young, normal, sedentary men i.e. non-athletes are capable of developing some of the athlete's physiological characteristics. The effects of exercise (Treadmill and hand ergometer) on V̇O2max are dependent upon the frequency, intensity, and duration of the exercise itself, consistent with the findings of Guoyuan Huang.1
The abilities of such functional components are reflected in such measurable terms as maximal oxygen uptake and physical working capacity.4 Recreational athletes, a growing population that is commonly encountered in clinical practice, perform far less exercise volume and do so at lower training intensities than athletes at higher training intensity. But to what degree the moderate-intensity exercise training typically practiced by recreational athletes is unknown.5
However, it is agreed that ventilatory or diffusion capacities, or both, are not limiting factors in determining a normal individual's exercise capabilities.6
Physiologically V̇O2max is the intensity of an individual to increase metabolic processes with the requirements of increased physical efforts. This result due to the transformation of chemical energy into a mechanical one. This, in combination with your body's improved ability to deliver blood to muscles during exertion, ensures that oxygen gets distributed more effectively when you're exercising and when you're resting matching with the result obtained by Andrew J Shah.7
To the athlete who does aspire to endurance-type sports and does have favorable genetics for aerobic activities, the emphasis changes from things that cannot be changed (genetics) to abilities that can be improved like muscular endurance, neuromuscular coordination, mechanical efficiency, and cardiorespiratory fitness. V̇O2max will be the ultimate limiting factor in endurance activities for the chronically trained athlete. V̇O2maxis the measure of aerobic capacity and determined as an international standard of physical capacity.
As per Smita S. Bute, V̇O2max in athletes is 62% higher than non-athletes, which suggested that men who regularly exercise vigorously can maintain cardiovascular function, which is a consistent finding in many training studies.8
In athletes, it is oxygen delivery, not oxygen utilization that limits V̇O2max. After physical training, V̇O2max improvement mainly originates during exercise with increasing stroke volume. The maximum rate of work that can be performed is limited by the combined capacities of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to take in, transport, and use oxygen. Thus maximum oxygen intake measures the functional capacity of the cardiovascular system and is a useful criterion for assessment of overall capacity to perform work.
This study also indicates that non-athletes are capable of developing some of the true athlete's physiological characteristics. They possess an expanded oxygen transport system which should be reflected in increased work capabilities.
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