Long Maximal Incremental Tests Accurately Assess Aerobic Fitness in Class II and III Obese Men

This study aimed to compare two different maximal incremental tests with different time durations [a maximal incremental ramp test with a short time duration (8-12 min) (S-Test) and a maximal incremental test with a longer time duration (20-25 min) (L-Test)] to investigate whether an L-Test accurately assesses aerobic fitness in class II and III obese men. Twenty obese men (BMI >= 35 kg.m-2) without secondary pathologies (mean +/- SE; 36.7 +/- 1.9 yr; 41.8 +/- 0.7 kg*m(-2)) completed an STest (warm-up: 40 W; increment: 20W*min(-1)) and an LTest [warm-up: 20% of the peak power output (PPO) reached during the STest; increment: 10% PPO every 5 min until 70% PPO was reached or until the respiratory exchange ratio reached 1.0, followed by 15 W.min(-1) until exhaustion] on a cycle-ergometer to assess the peak oxygen uptake <(V)over dot>O-2peak and peak heart rate (HRpeak) of each test. There were no significant differences in <(V)over dot>O-2peak (S-Test: 3.1 +/- 0.1 L*min(-1); L-Test: 3.0 +/- 0.1 L*min(-1)) and HRpeak (S-Test: 174 +/- 4 bpm; L-Test: 173 +/- 4 bpm) between the two tests. Bland-Altman plot analyses showed good agreement and Pearson product-moment and intra-class correlation coefficients showed a strong correlation between <(V)over dot>O-2peak (r=0.81 for both; p <= 0.001) and HRpeak (r=0.95 for both; p <= 0.001) during both tests. <(V)over dot>O-2peak and HRpeak assessments were not compromised by test duration in class II and III obese men. Therefore, we suggest that the L-Test is a feasible test that accurately assesses aerobic fitness and may allow for the exercise intensity prescription and individualization that will lead to improved therapeutic approaches in treating obesity and severe obesity.