No significant difference between VO2max determined during an incremental or a maximal 2K test

INTRODUCTION: The most important physiological determinant of rowing performance is the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, L·min-1) [1]. VO2max can be measured directly during a maximal exercise test on a rowing ergometer (typical a 2k all-out test) or during a conventional step test to exhaustion. In a group of moderately and highly trained club rowers, we measured VO2max during a 2 k test and in a step test using 2 min at each step and where the increase per step was individually adjusted to the rowers fitness level [2] The aim of this study was 1) to compare VO2max measured in a 2k test and in a continuous incremental test using 2min stages with individual adjusted step increase; 2) to determine the correlation between VO2max and average power in a 2k test (Wavg) and maximal power output (MPO) measured in a continuous incremental test using 2min stages and VO2max. METHODS: Twenty male rowers (age 24 +/- 3 years, height 1.83 +/- 0.06 m, mass 86,1 +/- 8.0 kg, fat free mass 68,9 +/- 6,32 kg, rowing experience 3.8 +/- 3.3 years), comprising fourteen university rowers and six elite national rowers. On two separate days, participants performed a 2000m all out time trail (2K) and a submaximal 7x2min incremental step test (INCR), respectively. All exercise tests were performed in the same rowing ergometer (Concept II model E, with a PM 5 computer module). Oxygen uptake was measured using an AMIS Sport (Innovision ApS, Glamsbjerg, Denmark) based on a dynamic mixing chamber system from where samples of expired air could be measured for O2 and CO2 concentrations. Criteria for obtaining VO2max was Blood lactate concentration above 8.0, RER above 1.10, HR > 90% of the aged predicted HRmax and RPE above 18 RESULTS: No significant difference was found between VO2max determined during the incremental or the maximal 2k test (P>0.05). BLmax and PRE were significant lower after the INCR compared to the 2K (p