Evaluating the suitability of supra-PO peak verification trials after ramp-incremental exercise to confirm the attainment of maximum O 2 uptake.

During exhaustive ramp-incremental cycling tests, the incidence of O ₂ uptake (V̇o ₂ ) plateaus is low. To verify the attainment of maximum V̇o ₂ (V̇o _2max ), it is recommended that a trial at a power output (PO) corresponding to 110% of the ramp-derived peak (PO _peak ) is performed. It remains unclear whether verification trials set at this PO can be tolerated for long enough to allow attainment of V̇o _2max . Eleven recreationally trained individuals performed five ramp tests of varying slope (5, 10, 15, 25, and 30 W/min), each followed, in series, by two verification trials: the first at 110% PO _peak of the 25 W/min ramp and the second at 110% PO _peak attained in the preceding ramp test. Exercise duration of the first verification trial was on average 81 ± 15 s (CV = 9 ± 3%) versus 162 ± 32, 121 ± 24, 103 ± 15, and 73 ± 10 s for the second verification trials at 110% of PO _peak of the 5, 10, 15, and 30 W/min ramp tests, respectively ( P < 0.05). Compared with the highest V̇o ₂ recorded during ramp tests, V̇o ₂ from the subsequent verification trials was not different for the 5, 10, and 15 W/min ramp tests ( P > 0.05) but was lower for the 25 and 30 W/min ramp tests ( P < 0.05). Verification trials at 110% PO _peak of rapidly incrementing ramp tests (i.e., 25 W/min) were not sustained for long enough to allow the attainment of V̇o _2max . With commonly used rapidly incrementing ramp tests engendering exhaustion within 8-12 min, verification trials less than PO _peak should be preferred as they can be sustained sufficiently long to allow the attainment of V̇o _2max .