A Characterization of the Ventilatory Training Responses to a Three-Week Exercise Protocol in Recreationally Active Females
Creators: name: Jaten, Rachel Ann
Publisher: name: Washington State University
Year: 2023
Subjects: Adaptation
Thresholds
Training
Ventilation
Ventilatory
Ventilatory Pattern

description: Purpose
description: To investigate whether there is a role for the assessment of the ventilatory thresholds and ventilation characteristics in providing a more comprehensive understanding of positive and negative training responses.
description: Hypothesis
description: We hypothesized that exercise ventilatory response to an intense three-week training protocol would vary among subjects.
description: Methods
description: Design Sixteen recreationally active females (aged 27.75 ± 1.92 [SD], range 22 to 46 years) experimental group (EG: n = 10), control group (CG: n = 6), completed a combination of continuous (CT), high intensity interval (HIIT), and supra-maximal interval (SMIT) training visits six days a week for three weeks. The data presented are from the once-weekly exercise performance testing visits at baseline (BL), 48-hrs post-exercise (TRpost), and following three-week recovery (REC). Subjects underwent performance testing weekly during recovery to monitor training response.
description: Data Collection Expired gases were measured breath-by-breath via metabolic cart. Metabolic variables included oxygen consumption (V̇O2) and carbon dioxide production (V̇CO2), minute ventilation (V̇E), tidal volume (VT), breathing frequency (ƒb), and the fraction of mixed expired oxygen (FeO2) and carbon dioxide (FeCO2). These variables were used to determine the ventilatory pattern, first and second ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2).
description: Performance Testing Subjects performed a graded exercise test (GXT) on an electronically braked cycle ergometer. The GXT started at 75 watts and increased 30 watts every 2-minutes until volitional exhaustion or inability to maintain 60 revolutions per minute (RPM) despite verbal encouragement.
description: Results
description: After training breathing frequency (fb) increased at 105 W (P&lt;.05) while tidal volume (VT) decreased 14.0-19.6% across all submaximal workloads (135W, 105W, 75W P&lt;.05). No change was observed in V̇Emax or submaximal V̇E. At VT1 there was an increase in V̇O2, % V̇O2peak, and WL (P&lt;.05). At VT2 there was a difference between groups for % V̇O2peak (P&lt;.05). Following recovery % V̇O2peak at VT1 decreased (P&lt;.01); at VT2, V̇O2 increased compared to baseline (P&lt;.01).
description: Conclusion
description: Our investigation is the first to report a training effect in the ventilatory pattern in response to an intense three-week training overload in recreationally active females. Subjects did not exhibit a positive training response in the ventilation variables as evidenced by the significant decrease in submaximal VT following training. Conversely, our subjects exhibited a positive training response in one or more variables associated with VT1 and VT2. Our findings suggest there is a role for the assessment of the ventilatory thresholds and ventilation characteristics to elucidate a more comprehensive understanding of positive and negative training responses to aerobic exercise.