Differences in Ventilatory Threshold for Exercise Prescription in Outpatient Diabetic and Sarcopenic Obese Subjects

Aim of the study was to examine cardiorespiratory parameters at individual ventilatory threshold (IVT) and peak exercise capacity ( ̇ VO2peak) in outpatient diabetic and sarcopenic obese subjects. Seventeen obese subjects (BMI: 36.6 ± 4.1 kg⋅m−1) and sixteen SO subjects (BMI: 37.0 ± 7.3 kg⋅m−1) were compared with sixteen T2DM subjects (BMI: 37.7 ± 5.6 kg⋅m−1). All groups performed an incremental exercise test on a treadmill according to their physical ability. ̇ VO2peak, %HRmax, and maximal metabolic equivalent (METmax) were evaluated at maximal effort. Moreover, ̇ VO2ivt, % ̇ VO2peak, %HRmax, %HRR, ΔHR, and METivt were assessed at IVT. No significant differences were found in any physiological parameters at maximal effort ( ̇ VO2peak, %HRmax, and METmax) in all groups. On the contrary, ̇ VO2ivt, % ̇ VO2peak, %HRmax, %HRR, ΔHR, and METivt were significantly lower in T2DM subjects as compared to OB and SO subjects at IVT ( < 0.05). Our results show that while at maximal effort there are no differences among groups, at IVT the physiological parameters are lower in T2DM subjects than in OB and SO subjects. Therefore, due to the differences observed in the groups, we suggest usng the IVT as a useful parameter to prescribe aerobic exercise in obese with sarcopenia or diabetes mellitus conditions.