Abstract
The present study examined the effectiveness of a 3200-m time trial run for predicting
V̇O2 and running velocity at lactate threshold (LT), and fixed blood lactate concentrations
(FBLC) of 2.0,2.5, and 4.0 mM and peak in untrained women. Thirty-nine female subjects
completed a V̇O2 peak/LT test and a 3200-m time trial run. Twenty-eight subjects were randomly assigned
to a validation sample and the remaining subjects were used for cross-validation purposes.
In the validation sample, V̇O2 measurements at LT, FBLC of 2.0, 2.5, 4.0 mM, and peak were 22.5, 29.2, 31.2, 36.5,
and 38.5 ml/kg·min-1 , respectively. Velocities at LT, FBLC of 2.0, 2.5, 4.0 mM, and peak were 107.1, 129.7,
136.6, 155.1, and 163.2 m/min, respectively. Regression analysis in the validation
group revealed that the 3200-m time trial was an accurate predictor of velocities
at LT, FBLC of 2.0, 2.5, 4.0 mM, and peak with correlations of r = 0.70, r = 0.84,
r = 0.85, r = 0.87, and r = 0.95, respectively, and standard errrors of estimate ranging
from + 9.5 m/min (for velocity peak) to + 13.7 m/min (velocity LT). Vor V̇O2 prediction, correlations ranged from r=0.61 (3200-m time vs V̇O2 LT) to r = 0.77 (3200-m time vs V̇O2 peak) with the standard errors of estimate ranging from±4.18 (V̇O2 2.0 mM) to±4.87 ml/kg·min-1 (V̇O2 4.0 mM). Results for the cross-validation subjects revealed that, for both velocity
and V̇O2 , correlations between actual and predicted values were high, ranging from r = 0.75
(V̇O2 peak) to r = 0.87 (velocity 4.0 mM) and that SE scores were similar to the SEE observed
for the validation group. It was concluded that in untrained women performance on
a 3200-m time trial accurately predicts both V̇O2 and velocity at LT, FBLC of 2.0, 2.5, 4.0 mM, and peak. The present findings have
application for exercise prescription in untrained women.
Key words
V̇O2 max - anaerobic threshold - blood lactate accumulation - lactate threshold
