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. 2025 Aug 22;15:30906. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-17016-y

Table 3.

Cardiopulmonary exercise test characteristics after propensity score matching.

Characteristic Pre-pandemic During-pandemic Post-pandemic P
n = 1,503 n = 1,503 n = 1,503
Peak VO2, L/min 1.14 (0.31) 1.12 (0.34) 1.17 (0.35)*,† < 0.001
Peak VO2/kg, ml/min/kg 15.56 (3.74) 15.07 (4.09)* 15.69 (4.04) < 0.001
Peak METs 4.44 (1.07) 4.31 (1.17)* 4.48 (1.15) < 0.001
AT METs 3.43 (0.46) 3.37 (0.56)* 3.38 (0.60)* 0.006
AT VO2/kg, ml/min/kg 10.88 (2.03) 10.73 (2.33) 11.25 (2.41)*,† < 0.001
AT O2 pulse, ml/min/beat 8.11 (1.70) 7.82 (1.96)* 8.01 (2.04) < 0.001
Peak O2 pulse, ml/min/beat 9.69 (2.31) 9.27 (2.49)* 9.38 (2.55)* < 0.001
Borg score 16.13 (1.38) 16.28 (2.34) 14.95 (5.31)*,† < 0.001
Weber Grade, No. (%) < 0.001
A 197 (13.11%) 162 (10.78%) 221 (14.70%)§
B 574 (38.19%) 579 (38.52%) 599 (39.85%)
C 676 (44.98%) 630 (41.92%) 596 (39.65%)
D 56 (3.73%) 132 (8.78%) 87 (5.79%)‡,§

Bold value indicates a statistically significant difference.

A p-values of the relationship trends of the three groups of variables are also given in the table.

Symbols denote significant differences from the pre-pandemic group (*P <.05; and P <.0167), during-pandemic group (P <.05 and §P <.0167).

Data are mean ± SD, median (interquartile range), or number (%).

Abbreviations: Peak VO2, peak oxygen uptake; Peak VO2/kg, peak oxygen uptake per kilogram; Peak METs, peak Metabolic Equivalent; AT VO2/kg, oxygen uptake per kilogram at anaerobic threshold; AT O2 pulse, Oxygen pulse at anaerobic threshold; Peak O2 pulse, Peak Oxygen pulse.