TITLE:
Validation of VO2Peakand performance using a SciFitTM Arm Ergometer
AUTHORS:
James A. Yaggie, W. Jeffrey Armstrong, Ian K. Ratz, Stephen J. McGregor
KEYWORDS:
Reliability; Validity; Upper Body Ergometry; Swimmers
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation,
Vol.2 No.1,
February
15,
2014
ABSTRACT: For individuals with lower extremity injury or disability, upper body exercise provides a mechanism of functional mobility training, car-diovascular fitness, as well as a means for clinical fitness assessment. However, the validity of fitness assessment relies on the efficacy of di-agnostic tools and measures in order to provide meaningful data to clinicians. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the SciFitTMPro II Arm Ergometer, a widely available upper body ergometer (UBE), is a reliable device for the determination of VO2Peak in fit able-bodied swimmers. Eight trained male swimmers (28 ± 9 yrs) performed two incremental protocols VO2Peak consisting of a 4-min warm-up at 15 W followed by 2 min at 50 W and progressing 10 W every 2 min until volitional exhaustion. There was a linear relationship between workload and VO2 in all trials (R = 0.96; p ≤ 0.01) while Cronbach’s alpha for test-retest reliability for VO2 was 0.98. In conclusion, the UBE is an accurate and reliable device for determination of VO2Peak in trained swimmers, and further may be a viable alternative trainingVO2Peak injured athlete.