Quantifying Improvement in V˙o2peak and Exercise Thresholds … : Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention
compensation point (RCP), and peak oxygen uptake (V˙o2peak) at the individual level are not established. We applied reliable change index (RCI) statistics to determine minimal meaningful change (MMCRCI) cutoffs of θLT, RCP, and V˙o2peak for individual patients with CVD. Methods: Sixty-six stable patients post-cardiac event performed three exhaustive treadmill-based incremental exercise tests (modified Bruce) ∼1 wk apart (T1-T3). Breath-by-breath gas exchange and ventilatory variables were measured by metabolic cart and used to identify θLT, RCP, and V˙o2peak. Using test-retest reliability and mean difference scores to estimate error and test practice/exposure, respectively, MMCRCI values were calculated for V˙o2 (mL·min−1.kg−1) at θLT, RCP, and V˙o2peak. Results: There were no significant between-trial differences in V˙o2 at θLT (P = .78), RCP (P = .08), or V˙o2peak (P = .74) and each variable exhibited excellent test-retest variability (intraclass correlation: 0.97, 0.98, and 0.99; co