Oxygen intake efficiency slope: a new index of cardiorespiratory functional reserve derived from the relationship between oxygen consumption and minute ventilation during incremental exercise.

We investigated the usefulness of the oxygen intake efficiency slope (OIES) as a submaximal measure of cardiorespiratory functional reserve. OIES was derived from the relationship between oxygen consumption (VO2; ml/min) and minute ventilation (VE; l/min) during incremental exercise, which was determined by the following equation: VO2 = a logVE + b, where "a" represents OIES, which shows the effectiveness of ventilation. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) is effort-dependent. There is no standard submaximal measurement of cardiorespiratory reserve that provides generally acceptable results. Exercise tests were performed by 17 normal volunteers on an ergometer using a symptom-limited Ramp protocol. Expired gas was continuously analyzed. OIES was calculated using the first 75%, 90%, and 100% of exercise data. We also determined the following submaximal parameters: the ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT), the slope of the minute ventilation-carbon dioxide production relationship (VE-VCO2 slope), and the extrapolated maximal oxygen consumption (EMOC). We analyzed the relationship between OIES, other submaximal parameters and VO2max, and examined the effects of submaximal exercise on OIES. The correlation coefficient of the logarithmic curve-fitting model was 0.991 +/- 0.006. OIES and VO2max were significantly correlated (r = 0.966, p < 0.0001). The correlation between OIES and VO2max was stronger than the correlation between VO2max and VAT, the VE-VCO2 slope and EMOC. OIES values for 100% and 90% of exercise were identical; OIES for 75% of exercise was slightly lower (3%). Our results suggested that OIES may provide an objective, effort-independent estimation of cardiorespiratory functional reserve.