The oxygen consumption reserve (VO2R) can be used as the target for exercise prescription.
First the person's fitness level is determined in METs (metabolic equivalents). The resting oxygen consumption for each fitness level is a percent of maximum oxygen consumption.
|
Fitness Level
|
Rest Oxygen Consumption as Percent VO2 maximum
|
|
5 MET
|
20%
|
|
10 MET
|
10%
|
|
20 MET
|
5%
|
This pattern is approximated by the equation:
percent VO2 maximum at rest =
= 100 / (MET fitness level) =
= (resting VO2) / (maximum VO2) * 100%
If this is rearranged:
maximum VO2 in mL/min/kg =
= (fitness level in METS) * (resting VO2)
Since the oxygen consumption at rest is usually 3.5 mL/min/kg:
maximum VO2 in mL/min/kg =
= 3.5 * (fitness level in METS)
To prescribe exercise as a percent of the oxygen consumption reserve:
oxygen consumption reserve =
= (maximum oxygen consumption) - (resting oxygen consumption)
target oxygen consumption for exercise =
= (resting oxygen consumption) + ((target percent of reserve as a decimal fraction) * (oxygen consumption reserve)) =
= 3.5 + ((target percent as decimal fraction) * ((3.5 * (fitness level in METS)) - 3.5) =
= 3.5 * (1 + ((target percent as a decimal fraction) * ((fitness level in METS) - 1)))
Once the target oxygen consumption is known then the parameters for the exercise can be determined.
