Predictive validity of VO_2máx measurement and estimates in Mountain Bikers' performance

INTRODUCTION:

considering the rationale for the use of predictive equations to estimate VO_2max in athletes, no study has established its validity for performance in mountain bike cross-country (XCO).

OBJECTIVE:

the aim was to compare different strategies for determining VO_2max, directly or indirectly, for predicting performance in a simulated and in a real competition.

METHODS:

20 XCO male athletes (31.6 ± 6.8 anos; 68.1 ± 6.5 kg; 175.5 ± 5.7cm; VO_2max 64.9 ± 4.4 mL. kg^-1.min^-1), were submitted to three experimental sessions. In the first visit, there were risk stratification, anthropometric evaluation and maximum progressive test. In the second, a simulated race was performed and, in the third session, a XCO competition was performed.

RESULTS:

the correlation between the simulated competition and the predictive equations of VO_2max in absolute values reached an almost perfect relationship (r ≥ 0.9). The correlations between the real competition and estimated VO_2max relativized to body mass achieved results classified as very high (r = 0.7 to .89). The associations between the direct measurement of VO_2max and the simulation were classified as small for values relative to body mass (r = 0.10, CI_95% -0.35 to 0.51). For the actual performance, the classification was moderate (r = 0.48, CI_95% 0.009 to 0.78).

CONCLUSION:

this study was the first to demonstrate the predictive validity of the estimates of VO_2max for the simulated and real MTB performance. In addition, it confirmed the low predictive validity of direct measurement of VO_2max for the same purpose.

reproducibility of results; sports; athletic performance; exercise