Effect of Data Processing Strategy on Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Plateau Identification in Collegiate Tennis Athletes

Accurate measurement of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and confirmation of VO2max by identification of the oxygen uptake (VO2) plateau are essential in evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness. This study examined the effect of data processing strategy on VO2max and the VO2 plateau in collegiate tennis athletes. Fifty cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) were processed with binned time and breath averages, moving time and breath averages, and a digital filter. Repeated measures ANOVA and chi-squared tests evaluated outcomes between strategies. Data processing strategy affected VO2max (p < 0.001) and VO2 variability in the last minute of CPET (p < 0.001) but did not influence the change in VO2 (p = 0.30) or proportion of tests classified as a plateau against a fixed threshold (p = 0.40). While VO2max is sensitive to data processing strategy, inconclusive evidence exists for plateau identification. Future research should evaluate which strategy accurately reflects the underlying physiological response.