VO2max – the importance of a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)

What is VO2max?

VO2max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is the highest level of oxygen consumption measured during exercise of increasing intensity. This index is checked by means of a cardiopulmonary exercise test (abbreviated to CPET).

What does cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) analyse?

In essence, CPET assesses the individual performance and endurance capacity of the person being tested and provides a complete analysis of how the following systems function: muscular, metabolic, pulmonary and cardiovascular (whose role is to ensure the exchange of gases between the external environment and the cells of the body).

How is CPET carried out?

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is carried out using a treadmill or a bicycle. The patient wears a face mask or a mouthpiece and, during exercise, the equipment records all the characteristics of breathing (VO2MAX): oxygen level, carbon dioxide and the relationship between them. At the same time, the person's heart rhythm is monitored using an electrocardiogram, while the dynamics between pulmonary ventilation and heart rate are also analysed. Furthermore, indirect calorimetry can measure the energy cost of exercise and the rate of fat metabolism.

Why is it important to have a CPET?

Having a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is particularly important because it can reduce the time and cost of diagnosing conditions that affect the ability to exercise. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and finding out your VO2max index can reveal, among other things, the following:

• they can determine the cause of dyspnoea (breathing difficulties) or exercise intolerance;
• they can reduce the risk of chronic fatigue or injury in sportspeople;
• they can detect or rule out exercise-induced cardiac ischaemia;
• they can support the prescription of training to improve sporting performance, because CPET reveals, among other things, the zones in which exercise has an impact.

Is CPET only for sportspeople?

Although cardiopulmonary exercise testing and identifying VO2max are essential for the performance of sportspeople, CPET can also prove useful for assessing patients with heart conditions or respiratory conditions (pulmonary vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, exercise-induced bronchospasm, etc.), for determining pre-operative risk in patients who are about to undergo major surgery, and for selecting patients for heart transplantation.

The cardiopulmonary exercise test is also recommended after infection with the Covid-19 virus. Around three weeks after infection, VO2 max testing shows how the body is functioning after the episode of Covid-19 and what functional after-effects the virus has left on the body.

If you too would like to test your endurance capacity and find out your maximum level of exertion, our team of specialists is waiting for you at Artro Sport Clinic!