Slow component of VO2 kinetics: physiological determinants and implications for performance in aerobic exercises

Oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics and blood lactate response during constant workload exercise at different intensities allow characterizing the moderate, heavy and severe exercise domains. In constant-intensity exercise, the VO2response profile, analyzed by exponential fits, shows the cardiodynamic, fundamental and slow phases. The occurrence of the slow component (SC) has been associated with factors such as the recruitment of type II fibers and the accumulation of metabolites such as lactate, ions H+, inorganic phosphate and adenosine diphosphate. The SC expresses a reduction of muscular efficiency and has been associated with lower tolerance to high-intensity aerobic exercise. The present study aimed to detail the theoretical framework of its occurrence and its influence on exercise tolerance, as well as providing the different procedures used in its quantification.