The Accuracy Of Female Collegiate Soccer Players In Self-Detecting Ventilatory Threshold During Maximal Exercise Testing

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Ventilatory threshold (VT) is the point at which minute ventilation (VE) increases nonlinearly with increasing exercise intensity. Several previous studies have shown that subjects are able to recognize their VT by noticing changes in their breathing during exercise bouts. High importance can be placed on knowing VT, as positive training adaptations for sport occur when the intensity is at or above this threshold. There are no previous studies examining team sport athletes detecting VT. PURPOSE: Determine whether female collegiate soccer players can accurately perceive the changes in ventilation associated with their VT during maximal exercise testing. METHODS: Volunteers were recruited from a women’s collegiate soccer team (n=17, age= 19 ± 1.56 yrs.) to participate in the study. All subjects performed a modified maximal treadmill protocol with breath-by-breath gas analysis throughout the test. All subjects were given instructions from a script asking them to indicate when they noticed a significant change in their breathing, and this was recorded as their perceived ventilatory threshold (PVT). Actual VT was recorded and calculated from the maximal exercise test results. Pearson product correlation and independent samples t-tests were used to test the relationships and mean differences between oxygen consumption (VO2), ventilatory frequency (VF), minute ventilation (VE), and tidal volume (Vt) at PVT and VT. Significance was set at p < 0.05 RESULTS: Data was collected for 13 subjects. Positive correlations were found between actual VT and PVT on physiological variables with TV having a very strong relationship (r=.932), VO2 a strong relationship (r=.714), and VF (r=.684) and VE (r=.49) with moderate relationships. On average, subjects perceived their VT after surpassing their actual VT. There were no statistically significant differences for mean difference on average between VO2, %/VO2max, VF, VE, and VT at PVT versus VT. CONCLUSION: In respect to the current study, female collegiate soccer players may be able to detect the changes in their breathing associated with VT, which could be useful in prescribing exercise for this population. Coaching professionals could use PVT as a reliable mark for players to train above their VT to produce desired training effects.