Determination of Ventilatory Thresholds Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Recreational Endurance and CrossFit Athletes

To define training zones, ventilatory thresholds (VTs) are commonly established by cardiopulmonary gas-exchange analysis during incremental exercise tests. Portable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices have emerged as a potential tool for detecting these thresholds by monitoring muscle oxygenation. This study evaluated the accuracy of NIRS measurements to determine VTs or critical power (CP) based on muscle oxygen saturation and assesses the device's consistency across 2 constant-load tests. Data from 2 crosssectional studies involving trained recreational endurance athletes (26 from study 1) and CrossFit athletes (59 from study 2) were examined. Incremental ramp tests on a cycle ergometer were performed and followed by either a constant-load test (study 1) or a CP test (study 2). When comparing power output or heart rate between NIRS-derived breakpoints and VTs, weak to moderate agreement was found. Mean differences in power output and heart rate ranged from 16.8 to 22.4 W and 3.8 to 6.0 beats-min-1 at the first threshold and 27.4 to 31.2 W and 7.1 to 7.8 beats-min-1 at the second threshold. Comparing with CP, mean differences ranged from -0.4 to 0.4 W and -0.6 to 0.9 beats-min-1. Test-retest reliability showed moderate agreement, with a mean bias of 1.2 percentage points between constant-load tests. Thus, NIRS may not be accurate for determining VTs or CP during exercise due to limited agreement in power output or hear rate, notable variability on individual level, and moderate reproducibility.