@article{3015519,
    title = "Assessment of ventilatory threshold using near-infrared spectroscopy on the gastrocnemius muscle during treadmill running",
    author = "Karatzanos, E. and Paradisis, G. and Zacharogiannis, E. and Tziortzis, S. and Nanas, S.",
    journal = "International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics",
    year = "2010",
    volume = "40",
    number = "2",
    pages = "206-211",
    issn = "0169-8141",
    doi = "10.1016/j.ergon.2009.02.003",
    keywords = "Anaerobic thresholds;  Exercise training;  Gastrocnemius muscle;  Heart rates;  Human performance assessment;  Incremental exercise;  Initial speed;  Linear model;  Occupational health;  Simulated environment;  Time duration;  Tissue oxygen saturation;  Ventilatory thresholds, Industrial hygiene;  Infrared devices;  Infrared spectroscopy;  Infrared transmission;  Oxygen;  Oxygenation;  Oxygenators;  Sporting goods;  Textiles;  Velocity, Muscle, adult;  article;  controlled study;  exercise test;  exhaustion;  female;  gastrocnemius muscle;  heart rate;  human;  human experiment;  lung capacity;  male;  muscle metabolism;  near infrared spectroscopy;  normal human;  oxygen saturation;  priority journal;  treadmill exercise",
    abstract = "This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) methodology in exploring the relationship between ventilatory (VT) and NIRS-determined threshold on the gastrocnemius muscle during running. Seventeen healthy participants, 11 males and 6 females performed an incremental exercise test until volitional exhaustion on a treadmill. Initial speed was set at 8 km/h with increments of 0.5 km/h per minute. Tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) was obtained from the belly of the left gastrocnemius muscle. Running velocity at the NIRS threshold was evaluated with StO2-velocity plots, employing two different models: linear (NTlin) and Dmax (NTD). Significant difference in velocity was observed between NTD (11.7 ± 0.9 km/h) and VT (11.2 ± 1.2 km/h). However, no difference in velocity was observed between VT and NTlin (11.6 ± 0.8 km/h, p &gt; 0.05), and between the two NIRS methods (p &gt; 0.05). VT velocity was significantly correlated (p &lt; 0.05) to NTlin (r = 0.86) and NTD (r = 0.84). Time duration at NIRS threshold as assessed with StO2-time plots employing a linear model (NT), did not differ from VT (8.5 ± 1.8 min vs. 7.9 ± 2.5 min respectively, p &gt; 0.05). Furthermore, small but significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) were found between VO2 and heart rate at VT and NT, expressed in either relative or maximum percentage values. Both NIRS-derived models were well correlated with VT and did not differ from each other. NIRS methodology applied on the gastrocnemius muscle was found to provide a useful means of detecting VT during treadmill running and to be practically appropriate in prescribing exercise training in running. Relevance to industry: Human performance assessment is useful in the field of occupational health or industry. Ventilatory threshold along with NIRS methodology could be used in the field or a simulated environment to evaluate performance of professionals involved in physically demanding activities, such as firefighting and construction. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved."
}