Validity and Test–Retest Reliability of the VO2 Master Metabolic Analyser: A Laboratory and Artistic Gymnastics-Specific Evaluation
Abstract
Background: This study assessed the validity and reliability of oxygen uptake (V̇O2) and minute ventilation (V̇E) of the mobile metabolic analyser VO2 Master under laboratory and gymnastics-specific conditions.
Methods: For validity testing six metabolic rates were reproduced by a metabolic simulator (VacuMed) and V̇E and V̇O2 were measured by two VO2 Masters (3209 and 3212). To evaluate test–retest reliability nine gymnasts (age 16.4 ± 1.0 years; height 168.2 cm; weight 59.4 kg) performed a circle test (CT) and nine athletic adults (age 29.7 ± 4.9 years; height 177.8 ± 7.4 cm; weight 71.3 ± 6.6 kg) performed a floor-specific test (FST). Validity was assessed by concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and mean percentage error (MPE). Test–retest reliability was analysed using standard error of measurement (%SEM) and intra-class correlation coefficient ICC (2,1) for V̇O2mean, V̇O2peak, O2 deficit and O2 integral.
Results: The VO2 Masters showed a MPE of 10.44 ± 1.48%, 7.56 ± 1.97%, 6.73 ± 1.93% and 7.56 ± 1.45% (3209) for V̇O2 and V̇E. The CCCs of 0.97 and 0.99 for V̇O2 and 0.98 for V̇E indicate a substantial to almost perfect agreement between VacuMed and VO2 Masters. In the CT, V̇O2mean, V̇O2peak, O2 deficit, and O2 integral showed ICCs between 0.74 and 0.95 and SEM of ≤10% and ≤5%. In the FST, V̇O2mean, V̇O2peak, O2 deficit, and O2 integral showed ICCs between 0.76 and 0.94 and values of ≤10% and ≤5% for %SEM.
Conclusion: The VO2 Master is a practical, reliable and valid metabolic analyser for short term exercises like gymnastics routines.
Keywords: Metabolic analyser, oxygen uptake, quality criteria, error of measurement, short term exercises
References
Bearden, S., & Moffatt, R. (2001). V̇O2 and heart rate kinetics in cycling: Transitions from an elevated baseline. Journal of Applied Physiology, 90(6), 2081–2087. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2001.90.6.2081 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2001.90.6.2081
Borg, G. A. (1982). Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 14, 377–381. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-198205000-00012
Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.112.1.155 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155
Davis, P. (2024). The reliability of the VO2 Master Pro metabolic analyzer and comparison with the Cosmed Quark. Science & Sports, 39(8), 706–709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2024.03.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2024.03.002
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. (2020). 2022–2024 Code of points: Men's artistic gymnastics.
Gómez-Carmona, C. D., Pino-Ortega, J., Rico-González, M., & Bastida-Castillo, A. (2021). Global navigation satellite systems. In J. Pino-Ortega & M. Rico-González (Eds.), The use of applied technology in team sport (pp. 20–38). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003157007-4
Guidetti, L., Meucci, M., Bolletta, F., Emerenziani, G. P., Gallotta, M. C., & Baldari, C. (2018). Validity, reliability and minimum detectable change of COSMED K5 portable gas exchange system in breath-by-breath mode. PLoS ONE, 13(12), e0209925. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209925 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209925
Koo, T. K., & Li, M. Y. (2016). A guideline of selecting and reporting intraclass correlation coefficients for reliability research. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 15(2), 155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.012
McBride, G. (2005). A proposal for strength-of-agreement criteria for Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient. NIWA Client Report: HAM2005-062, 45, 307–310.
Montoye, A. H., Vondrasek, J. D., & Hancock II, B. J. (2020). Validity and reliability of the VO2 Master Pro for oxygen consumption and ventilation assessment. International Journal of Exercise Science, 13(4), 1382–1401. https://doi.org/10.70252/THJT1177 DOI: https://doi.org/10.70252/THJT1177
Payne, R. (1997). Method comparison: Evaluation of least squares, Deming and Passing/Bablok regression procedures using computer simulation. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 34(Pt 3), 319–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/000456329703400317 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/000456329703400317
Perret, C., & Mueller, G. (2006). Validation of a new portable ergospirometric device (Oxycon Mobile) during exercise. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 27(5), 363–367. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2005-865666 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2005-865666
Rodriguez, F. A., Latt, E., Jurimae, J., Maestu, J., Purge, P., Ramson, R., Haljaste, K., Keskinen, K. L., & Jurimae, T. (2016). VO2 kinetics in all-out arm stroke, leg kick and whole stroke front crawl 100-m swimming. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 37(3), 191–196. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0035-1554695 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0035-1554695
Rüdrich, P., Samson, A. J., & Wolfarth, B. (2022). Möglichkeiten der qualitätssicherung in der spiroergometrie im spitzen- und hochleistungssport ((Possibilities of quality management in spiroergometry in elite and high-performance sports) [Congress Proceedings]. Frühjahrsschule "Technologien im Leistungssport", Leipzig IAT, 4(20).
Seemann-Sinn, A., Brehmer, S., Naundorf, F., & Wolfarth, B. (2021). Development of the routine duration in artistic gymnastics from 1997 to 2019. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 21(2), 250–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2021.1877601 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2021.1877601
Seemann-Sinn, A., Rudrich, P., Gorges, T., Naundorf, F., & Wolfarth, B. (2023). Physiological and energetic demands during still-rings routines of elite artistic gymnasts. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 18(7), 704–710. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2022-0380 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2022-0380
Seemann-Sinn, A., Rudrich, P., Gorges, T., Sandau, I., Naundorf, F., & Wolfarth, B. (2024). Determining physiological and energetic demands during high-level pommel horse routines using a modified method based on heart rate-oxygen uptake functions. Sports, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12010027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12010027
Thiessen, J. S., Guluzade, N. A., Faricier, R., & Keir, D. A. (2025). (Re)assessment of the COSMED Quark CPET and VO2 Master Pro systems for measuring pulmonary gas exchange and ventilation. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 35(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70019 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70019
Ungerer, J. P. J., & Pretorius, C. J. (2017). Method comparison – A practical approach based on error identification. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 56(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2017-0842 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2017-0842
Van Hooren, B., Souren, T., & Bongers, B. C. (2024). Accuracy of respiratory gas variables, substrate, and energy use from 15 CPET systems during simulated and human exercise. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 34(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/DOI:10.1111/sms.14490 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14490
Vogler, A. J., Rice, A. J., & Gore, C. J. (2010). Validity and reliability of the Cortex MetaMax3B portable metabolic system. Journal of Sports Sciences, 28(7), 733–742. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410903582776 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410903582776
Webber, J. (2019). Validity and reliability of the VM Pro. https://V̇O2master.com/blog/validity-and-reliability-of-the-V̇O2-master/
Winkert, K., Kamnig, R., Kirsten, J., Steinacker, J. M., & Treff, G. (2020). Inter- and intra-unit reliability of the Cosmed K5: Implications for multicentric and longitudinal testing. PLoS ONE, 15(10), e0241079. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241079 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241079
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s). Published by Lithuanian Sports University.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
