The determinants of aerobic capacity are oxygen delivery by the cardiopulmonary system and oxygen extraction by the skeletal muscles. However, the impact of the oxygen extraction capacity of the skeletal muscle is unclear. This study aimed to examine the associations between aerobic capacity; muscle strength, endurance, mass, and quality; and oxygen extraction capacity.
Twenty-seven healthy young men (mean age, 20.7 ± 0.8 years; body mass index, 21.6 ± 3.2 kg m−2) were recruited. The following parameters were determined: peak work rate (WR) and oxygen uptake (
Multiple regression analysis with WR/kg peak as the dependent variable resulted in the adoption of SMI (β = −0.41, P = 0.036), muscle echo intensity (β = −0.45, P = 0.012) and ΔMOER (β = 0.73, P < 0.001) as significantly associated factors. Multiple regression analysis with
These findings suggest that muscle oxygen extraction rate is associated with aerobic capacity. MOER is a useful indicator because it is not affected by body mass.
Levine BD. V ˙O2 max: what do we know, and what do we still need to know? J Physiol 2008; 586(1): 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2007.147629.
Waschki B, Kirsten A, Holz O, Müller KC, Meyer T, Watz H, et al. Physical activity is the strongest predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with COPD: a prospective cohort study. Chest 2011; 140(2): 331–342. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.10-2521.
Löllgen H, Leyk D. Exercise testing in sports medicine. Deutsches Arzteblatt Int 2018; 115(24): 409–416. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2018.0409.
Guyatt GH, Sullivan MJ, Thompson PJ, Fallen EL, Pugsley SO, Taylor DW, et al. The 6-minute walk: a new measure of exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure. Can Med Assoc J 1985; 132(8): 919–923.
Wakasugi T, Morishita S, Kaida K, Ikegame K, Uchiyama Y, Domen K. Muscle oxygen extraction and lung function are related to exercise tolerance after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Support Care Cancer 2021; 29(10): 6039–6048. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06178-w.
Bassett DR, Jr., Howley ET. Limiting factors for maximum oxygen uptake and determinants of endurance performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32(1): 70–84. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200001000-00012.
Skattebo Ø, Calbet JAL, Rud B, Capelli C, Hallén J. Contribution of oxygen extraction fraction to maximal oxygen uptake in healthy young men. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2020; 230(2): e13486. https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.13486.
Barstow TJ. Understanding near infrared spectroscopy and its application to skeletal muscle research. J Appl Physiol (Bethesda, Md : 1985) 2019; 126(5): 1360–1376. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00166.2018.
Tabira K, Horie J, Fujii H, Aida T, Ito K, Fukumoto T, et al. The relationship between skeletal muscle oxygenation and systemic oxygen uptake during exercise in subjects with COPD: a preliminary study. Respir Care 2012; 57(10): 1602–1610. https://doi.org/10.4187/respcare.01602.
Morrison BN, George K, Kreiter E, Dixon D, Rebello L, Massarotto RJ, et al. Effects of endurance exercise training on left ventricular structure in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2023; 30(9): 772–793. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad023.
Fukuta H. Effects of exercise training on cardiac function in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Card Fail Rev 2020; 6: e27. https://doi.org/10.15420/cfr.2020.17.
Misic MM, Rosengren KS, Woods JA, Evans EM. Muscle quality, aerobic fitness and fat mass predict lower-extremity physical function in community-dwelling older adults. Gerontology 2007; 53(5): 260–266. https://doi.org/10.1159/000101826.
Segerström Å B, Holmbäck AM, Elzyri T, Eriksson KF, Ringsberg K, Groop L, et al. Upper body muscle strength and endurance in relation to peak exercise capacity during cycling in healthy sedentary male subjects. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25(5): 1413–1417. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181d68579.
Segerström AB, Holmbäck AM, Hansson O, Elgzyri T, Eriksson KF, Ringsberg K, et al. Relation between cycling exercise capacity, fiber-type composition, and lower extremity muscle strength and muscle endurance. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25(1): 16–22. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31820238c5.
Vaara JP, Kyröläinen H, Niemi J, Ohrankämmen O, Häkkinen A, Kocay S, et al. Associations of maximal strength and muscular endurance test scores with cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition. J Strength Cond Res 2012; 26(8): 2078–2086. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31823b06ff.
Wang DXM, Yao J, Zirek Y, Reijnierse EM, Maier AB. Muscle mass, strength, and physical performance predicting activities of daily living: a meta-analysis. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2020; 11(1): 3–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12502.
American Thoracic Society, & American College of Chest Physicians. ATS/ACCP Statement on cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2003; 167(2): 211–277. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.167.2.211.
Myers J, Walsh D, Buchanan N, Froelicher VF. Can maximal cardiopulmonary capacity be recognized by a plateau in oxygen uptake? Chest 1989; 96(6): 1312–1316. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.96.6.1312.
Williams N. The Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale. Occup Med 2017; 67(5): 404–405. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqx063.
Ferrari M, Muthalib M, Quaresima V. The use of near-infrared spectroscopy in understanding skeletal muscle physiology: recent developments. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2011; 369(1955): 4577–4590. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2011.0230.
Caresio C, Molinari F, Emanuel G, Minetto MA. Muscle echo intensity: reliability and conditioning factors. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2015; 35(5): 393–403. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpf.12175.
Clarke HH, Shay CT, Mathews DK. Strength decrement index: a new test of muscle fatigue. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1955; 36(6): 376–378.
Powers SK, Lawler J, Dempsey JA, Dodd S, Landry G. Effects of incomplete pulmonary gas exchange on V ˙O2 max. J Appl Physiol (Bethesda, Md : 1985) 1989; 66(6): 2491–2495. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1989.66.6.2491.
Miura A, Endo M, Sato H, Sato H, Barstow TJ, Fukuba Y. Relationship between the curvature constant parameter of the power-duration curve and muscle cross-sectional area of the thigh for cycle ergometry in humans. Eur J Appl Physiol 2002; 87(3): 238–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-002-0623-3.
Byrd MT, Switalla JR, Eastman JE, Wallace BJ, Clasey JL, Bergstrom HC. Contributions of body-composition characteristics to critical power and anaerobic work capacity. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2018; 13(2): 189–193. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2016-0810.