Reported protocol specifications during cardiopulmonary exercise testing
| Protocol specification | Cycle test | Treadmill test | ||||
| n (%)# | Median (IQR) | n (%)¶ | n (%)# | Median (IQR) | n (%)¶ | |
| Work rate increments | 487 (89.2) | 45 (91.8) | ||||
| Rest phase | 264 (48.4) | 10 (20.4) | ||||
| Rest phase duration min+ | 229 (42.0) | 3 (3–3) | 139 (59) | 7 (14.3) | 3 (2–3) | 4 (57) |
| Unloaded phase warm-up | 329 (60.3) | 25 (51.0) | ||||
| Unloaded duration min+ | 314 (57.5) | 3 (2–3) | 182 (58) | 19 (38.8) | 3 (3–4) | 10 (53) |
| Incremental phase duration | 104 (19.0) | 19 (38.8) | ||||
| Recovery | 71 (13.0) | 5 (10.2) | ||||
| Recovery duration min+ | 56 (10.3) | 3 (2–6) | 18 (32) | 4 (8.2) | 3 (2–4) | 1 (25) |
Data are presented as n (%) or median (interquartile range). #: studies reporting test protocol details; ¶: studies using test duration supported by the literature review; +: percentages are calculated of studies that reported on rest, unloaded and recovery phases.