The role of cardiopulmonary exercise test for individualized exercise training recommendation in young obese subjects

Obesity is affecting a growing segment of the population and should be considered a serious health problem which will lead to medical complications and decreased life span. Lifestyle changes by adopting healthy food and increase energy consumption through physical activity is the most important treatment for obesity. Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is considered the gold standard for exercise capacity assessment. Purpose: This study is aiming to demonstrate that individualized exercise training programs, designed using CPET results, leads to increase of physical fitness, aerobic capacity, ventilatory and cardiac exercise performance in young obese subjects.Material and method:We performed a prospective research study of 6 months. 43 sedentary subjects without contraindications to exercise, 21.3±3.1 years old, 93% female were included in the study. Assessments were made at baseline and after six months of intervention and consists of cardiopulmonary exercise test on bicycle ergometer. After we recorded oxygen uptake at aerobic threshold (AT), anaerobic threshold (in the range of respiratory compensation point – RCP) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) we designed the training program according to these parameters and individualized heart rate training zones of each subject. Exercise training (60 minutes/session, 3 sessions/week) was performed taking in consideration the training zones and using a circuit on cardio devices. Each subject was supervised by a physiotherapist and using heart rate monitors. The number of subjects evaluated at the end of the study was 27 (dropout rate 37%).Results:After six months of intervention we noticed an improvement of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) (from 22.7±3.69 to 27.44±5.55), aerobic threshold (VO2_AT) (from 15.48±2.66 to 20.07±4.64 ml/min/kg, p<0.0001) and anaerobic threshold (VO2_RCP) (from 20.3±3.66 to 25.11±5.84 ml/min/kg, p<0.0001), cardiac performance during exercise evaluated trough maximal oxygen pulse (VO2/HRmax) (from 10.05 ± 1.88 to 11.81 ± 2.77 ml, p=0.0004) and maximum ventilatory capacity (VE-VO2max) (from 59.25±12.29 to 70.25±17.11, l/min, p=0.0001). Conclusion: Active and closely monitored intervention by individualized exercise training programs lead to improved circulatory and respiratory functions and cardiorespiratory fitness in young obese patients.Acknowledgement: This study was supported by a CNCSIS Research Ideas project contract nr. 909/2009.