Clinical trial NCT05770453: Double Anaerobic Threshold in Athletes
Official title: Evaluation of the Presence of a Double Anaerobic Threshold in a Population of Athletes
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Conditions: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test
Anaerobic Threshold
Athlete
Lead sponsor: Centro Cardiologico Monzino
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi
name: University of Foggia
First posted: 2023-03-15
Enrollment: 100
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: OTHER
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Healthy male and female athletes who performed a cardiopulmonary test at our laboratories from 2007 to the present (retrospectively recruited) and prospectively recruited will be enrolled

Brief summary: During an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) performed with a ramp protocol, it is very important to determine the anaerobic threshold, defined as the point at which the metabolism switches from being predominantly aerobic to also being anaerobic. The anaerobic threshold can be determined invasively, by identifying the increase in blood lactates with an arterial sampling, or, more commonly, non-invasively by three methods: the V-slope method, the ventilatory equivalents method and by using end-expiratory oxygen and carbon dioxide pressure (PETO2 and PETCO2 respectively). Normally, the anaerobic threshold is determined by the first method and the other two are used to confirm the value. The finding of different anaerobic threshold values using these three methods has been reported anecdotally in the past, while a prevalence of 11% in a healthy population has recently been described. Regular training, particularly that aimed at endurance sports, is able to shift the anaerobic threshold to higher exercise intensities. At present, the physiological reasons for the presence of a double threshold are unclear.

The aim of the study is to identify the anaerobic threshold by means of the V-slope method and by means of the ventilatory equivalents method in athletes who have performed an incremental ramp CPET at the laboratories of the investigating centres, to assess in how many athletes a double threshold is present and to try to interpret the physiological/ pathophysiological significance of this finding.

In this retrospective and prospective observational study, healthy male and female athletes who have had a cardiopulmonary test at our laboratories from 2007 to the present (retrospectively recruited) and prospectively recruited until the calculated sample size is reached will be enrolled.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* no major present or past illnesses, no ongoing treatment
* At least 2 training sessions per week.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Current illnesses and treatments for any physical condition that could potentially alter performance
* Subjects who have performed a submaximal test (RER \< 1.05)
* CPET during which the AT determination is poorly assessable, i.e. due to changes in respiration.
* obese subjects (BMI \>30)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Athletes groups
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Groups differences in age
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
measure: Groups differences in sport practised
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
measure: Groups differences in exercise performance
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
measure: Groups differences in VO2
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
measure: Groups differences in VE/VCO2 slope
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
measure: Groups differences in VE
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
measure: Differences in VO2 at the two thresholds
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
measure: Differences in VE/VCO2 at the two thresholds
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
measure: Differences in VE at the two thresholds
timeFrame: immediately after the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test evaluation
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Florence
country: Italy
facility: Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi
city: Foggia
country: Italy
facility: University of Foggia
city: Milan
country: Italy
facility: Centro Cardiologico Monzino
Study officials:
affiliation: Centro Cardiologico Monzino
name: Piergiuseppe Agostoni, Prof.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: