Variation of knee angle and leg length for predicting VO<inf>2max</inf>in healthy male volunteers using the queen’s college step test

• Main Authors: Sopalard M., Leelarungrayub J., Klaphajone J.
• Format: Journal
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84975886156&origin=inward; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/41826
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

© JPES. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of body anthropometrics and knee joint angle (at 90 and 60 degrees) on male participants by following the Queen’s College step test (QCT) and directly compare the results with VO 2max . The study was designed with 38 randomly selected healthy male participants with a mean age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and total leg length of 20.39 years, 58.07 kg, 1.68 m, 20.33 kg.m -2 , and 33.78 inches, respectively. Direct VO 2max of all participants was determined using the stationary bicycle exercise test and a gas analyzer. The indirect VO 2max protocol of QCT was determined by adjustable the height for knee joint flexion at an angle of either 90 or 60 degrees. The results showed that VO 2max from the indirect protocol at both 60 and 90 degrees was significantly higher and differed from the direct VO 2max protocol, with a significantly lower leg fatigue and heart rate recovery. Correlation results were significant between the direct and indirect VO 2max protocols at both 90 and 60 degrees (p < 0.01). The height, leg length, and BMI showed significant correlation with minute ventilation (VE) during direct VO 2max . Whereas, VE correlated significantly with direct VO 2max , when compared with both indirect QCT protocols. Finally, the leg length of all participants did not correlate with any VO 2max . Therefore, this result indicated that the modification of QCT, with lower leg fatigue from different angles of the knee joint at either 90 or 60 degrees, was overestimated regarding VO 2max , height, BMI, and leg length, which correlated with VE but not with the VO 2max results.