Data_Sheet_1_Comparison of the Ekblom-Bak Submaximal Test to a Maximal Test in a Cohort of Healthy Younger and Older Adults in the United States.pdf

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is routinely investigated in diverse populations, including in older adults of varying physical activity levels. Commonly performed maximal exercise testing protocols might be contraindicated and/or inadequate for older individuals who have physical or cognitive impairment. Moreover, early termination of an attempted maximal exercise test could result in underestimation of CRF in this population. The goal of the current study was to compare CRF estimates using the Ekblom-Bak (EB) submaximal exercise test – previously validated in a cohort of Scandinavian adults – versus a subsequent maximal exercise test in a diverse, Midwestern United States cohort. Fifteen generally healthy individuals were included in this study who were either “Young” (25–34 years old) or “Older” (55–75 years old) as well as either sedentary or highly active. Participants completed the EB submaximal exercise test, followed immediately by a maximal exercise test. We found that all 15 individuals were able to successfully perform the EB submaximal testing method. Across the wide range of volumes of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max; 12–52 ml/kg/min), the EB submaximal estimates of VO2max correlated highly with the maximal test based values (Pearson’s r = 0.98), but with a small bias (6 ml/kg/min, 95% limits of agreement −1.06 and −11.29). Our results suggest that the EB submaximal testing method may be useful in identifying wide differences in CRF among a diverse cohort of older adults in the United States, but larger studies will be needed to determine the degree of its accuracy and precision in identifying smaller differences.

心肺适能（Cardiorespiratory fitness, CRF）已在各类人群中得到常规研究，其中涵盖不同身体活动水平的老年群体。针对存在躯体或认知功能障碍的老年人，常规最大运动测试方案可能存在禁忌，或并不适用。此外，若最大运动测试尝试提前终止，可能会导致该群体的心肺适能被低估。本研究旨在对比美国中西部多元化队列中，采用此前在斯堪的纳维亚成年人群队列中验证过的Ekblom-Bak（EB）次极量运动测试所得的CRF估算值，与后续最大运动测试结果之间的差异。本研究共纳入15名大体健康的受试者，其年龄分为'青年'（25–34岁）与'老年'（55–75岁），身体活动状态则分为久坐不动与高活动量两类。所有受试者先完成EB次极量运动测试，随后即刻进行最大运动测试。本研究发现，15名受试者均顺利完成EB次极量运动测试流程。在最大摄氧量（VO2max）跨度为12–52 ml/kg/min的区间内，EB次极量测试估算的VO2max与最大运动测试实测值呈现极高相关性（皮尔逊相关系数r=0.98），但存在小幅偏差（偏差值为6 ml/kg/min，95%一致性界限为-1.06与-11.29）。本研究结果表明，EB次极量运动测试方法或可用于甄别美国多元化老年群体中心肺适能的显著差异，但未来仍需开展更大样本量的研究，以明确其在识别微小差异时的准确度与精密度水平。