A Modified Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test To Identify Deconditioning As A Moderator Of v̇O2Peak In Obese Men

Peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak) in a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) strongly predicts morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. CPET identifies deconditioning based on a V̇O2peak below the lower limit of normal (LLN in all controls, V̇O2peak < LLN identified deconditioning in 10/19 (53%) obese men. By contrast, modified CPET identified muscle weakness (Piso ULN) in 95% of obese men: 10/10 with V̇O2peak > LLN and 8/9 with V̇O2peak < LLN. CONCLUSIONS: A modified CPET with maximal isokinetic power increased discriminative ability to identify deconditioning in obese men independent of body mass.