Exercise intervention does not reduce the likelihood of VO 2 max underestimation in older adults with hypertension.

The present study aimed to investigate whether training status would influence the capacity of a verification phase (VER) to confirm maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) of a previous graded exercise test (GXT) in individuals with hypertension. Twelve older adults with hypertension (8 women) were recruited. Using a within-subject design, participants performed a treadmill GXT to exhaustion followed by a multistage VER both before and after a 12-wkcombined exercise training programme. Individual VO 2 max, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), maximal heart rate (HR max ), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during both GXT and VER tests. Absolute and relative VO 2 max values were higher in VER than in GXT at baseline, but only absolute VO 2 max differed between bouts post-intervention (all p < 0.05). Individual VO 2 max comparisons revealed that 75% of the participants (9/12) achieved a VO 2max value that was ≥3% during VER both before (range: +4.9% to +21%) and after the intervention (range: +3.4% to +18.8%), whereas 91.7% (11/12) of the tests would have been validated as a maximal effort if the classic criteria were employed. A 12-wk combined training intervention could not improve the capacity of older adults with hypertension to achieve VO 2 max during a GXT, as assessed by VER.