Validation of a Novel Incremental Step Test for Assessment of Cardiopulmonary Fitness and Ventilatory Thresholds in Adults
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- Enrolling By Invitation
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 30
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Between-method agreement in oxygen uptake at Anaerobic Threshold (AT)
研究概览
简要总结
The purpose of this single-group diagnostic validation and test-retest reliability study is to determine whether a novel Incremental Step Test (IST) can accurately assess cardiorespiratory fitness and ventilatory thresholds in healthy adults compared with an established laboratory-based cycle ergometer Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET). The main questions are whether the step test can elicit reliable physiological responses sufficient to identify the anaerobic threshold and respiratory compensation point, and whether it produces reproducible results when repeated under standardised conditions. The study will compare the incremental step test (IST) with CPET to assess whether the IST provides similar peak and submaximal physiological measures and agreement with CPET comparator. Participants will complete three laboratory exercise tests across separate visits: one maximal CPET on a cycle ergometer, followed by two repeated ISTs performed on a 25 cm step board following the audio metronome.
详细描述
Participants will attend three laboratory visits separated by at least 3 days and conducted at similar times of the day. The first visit will include screening, anthropometric assessment, and a maximal CPET on an electronically braked cycle ergometer using a ramp protocol of 25 W/min for males and 20 W/min for females. Participants will complete 3 minutes of unloaded cycling followed by incremental protocol while maintaining the cadence at least 60 rpm, and the test will be terminated if they can no longer can sustain this cadence. Following CPET, participants will complete a 6-minute familiarisation session to practise the stepping activity, including the up-up-down-down stepping technique and alternation of the leading leg every 2 minutes. The second and third visits will involve repeated IST trials performed on 25 cm step board, with cadence progressed from 20 beats per minute and increased by 4 beats per minute every 20 seconds until volitional exhaustion. The IST will be terminated if the participant is unable to maintain the prescribed stepping rhythm for more than 15 seconds. Continuous breath-by-breath gas exchange, ECG, and heart rate monitoring will be used during testing to characterise peak performance and ventilatory threshold responses. Agreement between the step test and CPET, as well as test-retest reproducibility of the IST, will be evaluated to determine whether the new protocol could support more individualised exercise prescription in stepping-based activities.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Na
- 干预模型
- Single Group
- 主要目的
- Diagnostic
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 55 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years.
- •Body mass index between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m².
- •Non-smoker.
- •No known cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, neurological, or musculoskeletal conditions that would contraindicate maximal exercise testing.
- •Able to provide written informed consent.
- •Willing and able to complete one Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test and two Incremental Step Test sessions.
排除标准
- •Age younger than 18 years or older than 55 years.
- •Body mass index below 18.5 kg/m² or above 29.9 kg/m².
- •Current smoker or use of nicotine products.
- •Known cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, neurological, or musculoskeletal conditions that may affect exercise performance or make maximal exercise testing unsafe.
- •Any contraindication to maximal exercise testing according to established exercise testing guidelines.
- •Use of medications known to significantly affect cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic responses to exercise.
- •Current injury, illness, or infection that may limit participation in exercise testing.
- •Inability to provide informed consent.
- •Inability to complete study procedures or attend all required study visits.
研究组 & 干预措施
Incremental Step Test Validation Protocol
Participants will complete one laboratory-based Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test followed by two Incremental Step Test sessions conducted on separate visits. The first visit will include screening, anthropometric measurements, and a maximal incremental CPET on an electronically braked cycle ergometer using an individualised ramp protocol set at 25 W/min for males and 20 W/min for females, after 3 minutes of unloaded cycling. The second and third visits will involve two repeated incremental step tests on a standardised 25 cm step, with cadence starting at 20 beats per minute and increasing by 4 beats per minute every 20 seconds until volitional exhaustion. The CPET will be terminated if participants could not maintain a cadence of at least 60 rpm, and the step test will be terminated if participants could not maintain the prescribed stepping rhythm for 15 consecutive seconds. Exercise ECG, continuous heart rate, and breath-by-breath gas exchange will be recorded during all exercise tests.
干预措施: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (Diagnostic Test)
Incremental Step Test Validation Protocol
Participants will complete one laboratory-based Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test followed by two Incremental Step Test sessions conducted on separate visits. The first visit will include screening, anthropometric measurements, and a maximal incremental CPET on an electronically braked cycle ergometer using an individualised ramp protocol set at 25 W/min for males and 20 W/min for females, after 3 minutes of unloaded cycling. The second and third visits will involve two repeated incremental step tests on a standardised 25 cm step, with cadence starting at 20 beats per minute and increasing by 4 beats per minute every 20 seconds until volitional exhaustion. The CPET will be terminated if participants could not maintain a cadence of at least 60 rpm, and the step test will be terminated if participants could not maintain the prescribed stepping rhythm for 15 consecutive seconds. Exercise ECG, continuous heart rate, and breath-by-breath gas exchange will be recorded during all exercise tests.
干预措施: Incremental Step Test (Diagnostic Test)
结局指标
主要结局
Between-method agreement in oxygen uptake at Anaerobic Threshold (AT)
时间窗: Baseline (Day 1-CPET) and IST assessments at Visits 2 and 3, scheduled at 3-7-day intervals.
Agreement between the Incremental Step Test and the established laboratory-based cycle ergometer Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test comparator for oxygen uptake at Anaerobic Threshold (mL/min), will be assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman analysis.
Between-method agreement in oxygen uptake at Respiratory Compensation Point (RCP)
时间窗: Baseline (Day 1-CPET) and IST assessments at Visits 2 and 3, scheduled at 3-7-day intervals.
Agreement between the Incremental Step Test and the established laboratory-based cycle ergometer Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test comparator for oxygen uptake at Respiratory Compensation point / Ventilatory Threshold 2 (mL/min), will be assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman analysis.
Between-method agreement in Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO2peak)
时间窗: Baseline (Day 1-CPET) and IST assessments at Visits 2 and 3, scheduled at 3-7-day intervals.
Peak oxygen uptake will be defined as the highest 30-second rolling average value recorded prior to test termination.
次要结局
- Test-retest reliability of oxygen uptake at Anaerobic Threshold (AT)((Day 3-IST Visit 2) and IST Visit 3, scheduled 3-7 days apart.)
- Test-retest reliability of oxygen uptake at Respiratory compensation point (RCP)((Day 3-IST Visit 2) and IST Visit 3, scheduled 3-7 days apart.)
研究者
David King
Assistant Professor
Heriot-Watt University