BACKGROUND: Many methods are used for determining the Anaerobic Threshold (AT) by means of sophisticated ergospirometer. OBJECTIVE: To test the AT variation, detected by mathematical models and visual inspection, when low cost ergospirometer is used and intended for clinical application. METHODS: Seventy nine apparently healthy subjects were volunteers in this study; from these, 57 men. The VO2max and the ventilatory threshold were determined by indirect, open-circuit calorimetry. The electro-enzymatic method was used for analyzing the lactacidemia and direct determination of the Lactate Threshold (LT). The AT was determined by two mathematical methods (MM RSS and MMslope), based on the gases exchange, and by the log-log visual method, for determining the LT. Two independent investigators determined the AT through visual inspection of three graphs, considering two methods (AT-a= V-slope, EqV; and AT-b = V-slope, EqV and ExCO2). The data were analyzed by means of parametric statistics for determining the differences between AT-a versus ExCO2, MM RSS and MMslope; AT-b versus MM RSS and MMslope; and LT versus AT-a, AT-b, MM RSS and MMslope. RESULTS: The MMslope was the only method that presented a significant difference between the AT-a and AT-b (p=0.001), with CV% >15. LT versus MMslope did not present significant difference (p=0.274), however, it was observed a high CV (24%). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that with the low cost equipment, the MM RSS and AT-a methods can be used for determining the TAn. The MMslope method did not present satisfactory precision to be employed with this equipment.
Exercise test; mathematical model; ventilatory threshold; ergospirometry
