Comparison of VO2peak from the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) and treadmill in children

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in peak oxygen consumption (VO(2)peak) during a graded treadmill test and the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) in a sample of 7-14 year old children. Methods: Forty-four participants (25 boys, 19 girls) had VO2 assessed during a peak treadmill test and the PACER by a portable indirect calorimeter on non-consecutive days. Exercise parameters were compared between exercise tests by paired t-tests. Results: The PACER elicited a greater measured VO(2)peak (49.4 +/- 9.4 vs. 46.7 +/- 7.5 ml kg(-1).min(-1)) and maximum respiratory exchange ratio (1.14 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.07 +/- 0.08) than the treadmill test (p < 0.05). Rating of perceived exertion was higher (8.1 +/- 3.5 vs 7.6 +/- 3.8) during the treadmill test compared to the PACER test (p < 0.05). There was no difference in maximum heart rate between treadmill test and PACER test (196.9 +/- 9.3 vs. 198.6 +/- 8.8, p > 0.05). Conclusions: The PACER provides an acceptable measure of cardiorespiratory fitness in children but the finding that children elicit a higher measured VO(2)peak during the PACER compared to a graded treadmill test warrants continual refinement in future aerobic fitness prediction equations from the PACER. (C) 2022 The Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd.