VALIDATION OF THE COSMED FITMATE FOR PREDICTION OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION

Lee, J-M, Bassett Jr, DR, Thompson, DL, and Fitzhugh, EC. Validation of the Cosmed Fitmate for prediction of maximal oxygen consumption. J Strength Cond Res 25(9): 2573-2579, 2011-The main purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the Cosmed Fitmate (FM) for the prediction of maximal oxygen consumption ((V)over doto(2)max). In addition, this study examined whether measuring submaximal (V)over doto(2), rather than predicting it, can improve upon the prediction of (V)over doto(2)max. Participants for the study were 48 young to middle-age adults (32 men, 16 women), with a mean age of 31 yr. Each participant completed a submaximal and maximal treadmill test on 2 separate occasions. During the submaximal test, (V)over doto(2)max was predicted using the FM. This device extrapolates the linear regression relating heart rate (HR) and measured (V)over doto(2)max at submaximal work rates to age-predicted maximum HR (HR = 220 - age). The criterion measure was obtained using a graded, maximal treadmill test, with (V)over doto(2) measured by the Douglas bag (DB) method. There was no significant difference between (V)over doto(2)max predicted by the FM and (V)over doto(2)max measured by the DB method. The results of this study showed that a strong positive correlation (r = 0.897) existed between (V)over doto(2)max predicted by the FM and (V)over doto(2)max measured by the DB method, with a standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 3.97 ml.kg(-1).min(-1). There was a significant difference in (V)over doto(2)max predicted by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) metabolic equations and (V)over doto(2)max measured by the DB method (p = 0.01). The correlation between these variables was r = 0.758 (SEE = 5.26 ml.kg(-1).min(-1)). These findings indicate that a small, portable, and easy-to-use metabolic system provides valid estimates of , (V)over doto(2)max and improves upon predictive accuracy, compared to using generalized ACSM metabolic equations.