Laboratory VO2max versus Course Navette. An agreement study on physically active subjects.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to verify the agreement between the estimated value of VO₂max, from the Course Navette, (VO₂CN), compared with the direct measurement of oxygen consumption in laboratory (VO₂LAB) in a group of young people of both sexes.

Methods: The study involved 28 physically active subjects (19 males and 9 women) of 20.5 ±   2.1 years old, eight: 67.1 ± 11.9 kg, height: 171.0 ± 8.5 cm, BMI: 22.8 ± 2.5 kg/m². The VO₂max for all participants was determined by the direct method in the laboratory with a graded test (VO₂LAB) and by means of the estimation of the course Navette Test (VO₂CN) with a maximum interval of one week between tests. Pearson correlation coefficients were performed to assess associations between variables and a Bland-Altman test to asses agreement between the values of VO₂LAB and VO₂CN.

Results: A significant correlation between VO₂LAB and VO₂CN was found (r = 0.53; IC95% (0.19 to 0.75), p = 0.003). Average values of VO₂LAB of 46.1 ± 6.7 mL/kg/min and 47.23 ± 6.1 mL/kg/min for VO₂CN are obtained, not presenting statistical differences (p = 0.21). The concordance analysis of Bland-Altman found no bias (difference: 1.4889 ml/kg/min (-0.895 to 3.8727), p = 0.21) and proportional error VO₂LAB and VO₂CN (Ƭ=-0089 (-0.33 to 1.89), p = 0.481). There are differences in the VO₂LAB between men and women (p = 0.01).

Conclusion: The values of VO₂LAB and VO₂CN present low-moderate correlation coefficients between methods, however the estimation of maximum oxygen consumption by the Course Navette test is an appropriate method in young subjects physically active, without differences in the average values, nor proportional error, although it is observed broad limits of concordance.

Key words: Maximum oxygen consumption, Course Navette, concordance.