Table 2 CPET-related variables

V’_{O2 at peak}, ml/kg/min

28.1 ± 8.2

31.0 ± 7.7

25.8 ± 7.3

30.7 ± 9.2

25.7 ± 7.9

Workload, watts

121 [97; 169]

168 [121; 216.5]

109 [98; 146.5]

127.5 [94.5; 188]

102 [88; 138]

Δ IC, L

− 0.19 [− 0.43; 0.15]

0.24 [− 0.05; 0.37]

0.16 [0.08; 0.55]

−0.43 [− 0.54; − 0.21] ^{c e}

−0.38 [− 0.43; − 0.26] ^{c e}

Δ V_T, L

0.89 [0.51; 1.33]

1.34 [0.95; 1.61]

0.92 [0.44; 1.24]

0.88 [0.57; 1.19] ^b

0.64 [0.29; 0.89] ^b

RR at peak, breath/min

37 [32; 44]

34 [32.1; 41.5]

31 [28; 38.9]

38.8 [31.7; 42.5]

44 [36; 51]

V’_E/V’_{CO2 at rest}

43.4 ± 5.9

39.8 ± 5.1

42.1 ± 5.0

43.4 ± 5.3

46.9 ± 6.2 ^b

V’_E/V’_{CO2 slope}

29.3 ± 4.8

25.6 ± 1.9

33.0 ± 4.4 ^c

24.9 ± 2.7 ^e

32.5 ± 2.3 ^{c g}

V’_E/V’_{CO2 intercept}, L∙min^− 1

3.28 [1.95; 4.33]

3.3 [2.5; 3.6]

0.8 [0.2; 2.6] ^b

4 [3.2; 7.4] ^{b d}

3.6 [2.6; 5] ^d

O₂ pulse at rest, mL/beat/min

3.2 [2.3; 3.9]

3.3 [2.1; 4.5]

3.3 [2.1; 3.9]

3 [2.5; 3.9]

3.3 [2.3; 3.9]

Δ O₂ pulse, mL/beat/min

7.0 ± 2.6

8.8 ± 2.7

6.0 ± 2.1 ^b

7.9 ± 3.0

5.9 ± 1.5 ^b

Δ P_ETCO2

6 [4; 9]

6.5 [4.7; 8]

3 [0.5; 6]

10 [6.7; 14] ^{b e}

6 [3; 7] ^f

HR _recovery

23 [15.2; 28]

25 [21.7; 31]

23 [15.5; 27.5]

20.5 [14.2; 24.5]

23 [13; 29]

HR/V_O2

56 [46; 65.7]

47.5 [41.7; 59]

59 [47.5; 74]

50 [42; 64.2]

62 [52; 73]

DP reserve

15,251.1 ± 4192.6

15,387.0 ± 5090.4

14,966.5 ± 3391.4

15,063.2 ± 4187.2

15,582.7 ± 4582.2

DP reserve/Workload

123.8 ± 35.8

97.1 ± 36.1

129.9 ± 36.3

117.4 ± 27.9

142.3 ± 31.9 ^b

SpO₂ at rest, %

96.7 ± 1.7

97.3 ± 1.9

97.5 ± 1.3

96.4 ± 1.8

95.9 ± 1.7

Δ SpO₂, %

−2.0 ± 3.3

−0.6 ± 2.5

−1.1 ± 2.7

−3.9 ± 3.8

− 2.0 ± 3.4

Peak dyspnea

0.51 [0.39; 0.77]

0.43 [0.25; 0.62]

0.55 [0.44; 0.73]

0.52 [0.36; 0.88]

0.57 [0.45; 0.95]

Peak fatigue

0.65 [0.45; 0.82]

0.47 [0.38; 0.77]

0.74 [0.60; 0.88]

0.60 [0.34; 0.77]

0.71 [0.57; 0.91]