Calibração indireta de cicloergômetro pelo consumo de oxigênio

Abstract

LIMA, J. R. P.; BRANCO, F. C.; RIBEIRO NETO, F.; NOVO JUNIOR, J. M. Indirect cycle ergometer calibration by oxygen consumption. R. bras. Ci. e Mov. 2003; 11(3): 33-36. Usually, mechanical cycle ergometers (Cycle-Mec) are calibrated in a fragmented way: speed of the wheel and the applied resistance are calibrated independently. For more accurate calibration, it should be performed the dynamic calibration, using a torquimeter while the Cycle-Mec works at different speeds for each possible load, calibrating the system in the real test situation. As the dynamic calibration demands sophisticated equipments, inaccessible to most of the evaluation centers, the objective of this work was to experiment the indirect dynamic calibration of a Cycle-Mec by comparing the oxygen consumption (VO2), in several loads, with the VO2 predicted by regression equation used in aerobic assessment. After speed and resistive load calibration, 7 male individuals (70.6 ± 4.3 kg, 177.3 ± 5.0 cm, 25.9 ± 7.7 years) pedaled at 50 rpm, with initial resistive load of 0.95 kg (286.9 kgm.min-1) and increments of 1.0 kg each 3 min (302 kgm.min-1), until 4.95 kg (1494.9 kgm.min-1). The cadence was marked by digital metronome. Metabolic Analyzer Aerosport Teem 100 measured VO2. For Predicted VO2 calculation it was applied the equation: Predicted VO2 = Nominal power x 2 + (3,5 X corporal weight). Nominal Power was corrected by the equation: Corrected Power = / 2. Comparing nominal and corrected power it was possible to observe that the error of the studied Cycle-Mec was larger as nominal power increases. Correction of nominal power is obtained by the equation: Corrected power = 0.53 x Nominal Power + 55.12.