Abstract

SANTOS, Alexandre Lima dos; SILVA, Sidney Cavalcante; FARINATTI, Paulo de Tarso Veras  and  MONTEIRO, Walace David. Peak heart rate responses in maximum laboratory and field tests . Rev Bras Med Esporte [online]. 2005, vol.11, n.3, pp. 177-180. ISSN 1517-8692.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1517-86922005000300005.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The peak heart rate (HR_peak) assessed in maximum laboratory tests has been used to determine the aerobic exercise intensity in field situations. However, HR_peak values may differ in field and laboratory situations, which can influence the relative intensity of the prescribed workloads. The objective of this study was to measure the HR_peak responses in laboratory and field maximum tests, analyzing their influence in the exercise prescription. METHODS: Twenty-five physically active men aged 21-51 yrs (28.9 ± 8 yrs) executed a 2,400 m field test in a running track and an individualized maximum treadmill ramp protocol. All tests were performed within two weeks, in a counterbalanced order. Before each test, the temperature and air humidity were checked, and the subjects were told no to engage in any physical activity 48 hours before. Differences between HR_peak and environmental conditions (temperature and humidity) in field and laboratory situations were respectively tested by paired and simple Student's t tests (p < 0.05). RESULTS: HR_peak values were significant higher in the field test than in the laboratory protocol, reaching 10 beats per minute in some cases. These differences may be partially accounted for a significant higher temperature and air humidity in the field conditions. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, maximum field tests seem to elicit higher HR_peak values than laboratory protocols, suggesting that the former procedures are more likely precise to determine the relative intensity of aerobic effort in physical training.

Keywords : Aerobic training; Effort intensity; Running; Measurement and evaluation.