V̇O2peak is an acceptable estimate of cardiorespiratory fitness but not V̇O2max

As part of the CORP series (30), Poole and Jones (22) focused on the problem of measuring O2 uptake (V̇ 22 O2) during 'maximum' exercise by contrasting two closely related concepts: the maximum rate of O2 uptake (V̇ 23 O2max) and the highest rate of O2 uptake measured during a single 'maximum' test (V̇ O2peak). They called for rejection of the use of V̇ 24 O2peak in favour of sole use of V̇ O2max and testing protocols that satisfy criteria of a maximum value of V̇ 25 O2 (i.e. plateau in peak estimates of V̇ 26 O2). Their argument was that V̇ O2peak is an unacceptable surrogate for V̇ 27 O2max in individuals who terminate exercise because of insufficient experience or motivation. Apparently these problems are more prevalent in clinical cohorts and contribute to an underestimation of V̇O2max, and to mitigate these problems investigators have resorted to the term V̇ 30 O2peak. (22). To solve these problems, the authors proposed a new V̇ 31 O2max procedure, which has emerged recently and incorporates a 'verification bout' after a V̇ 32 O2peak test. They concluded that the utility of this procedure is widely established.