TABLE 4.

Exercise intensity defined by first and second ventilatory thresholds in cardiac patients, healthy sedentary subjects, and athletes and its correspondence to previous recommendations and 2020 guidelines

	First ventilatory threshold			Second ventilatory threshold
	Cardiac patients	Healthy sedentary	Athletes	Cardiac patients	Healthy sedentary	Athletes
	Correspondence of exercise intensity according to previous recommendations
% Peak VO2
Light	0.6%	2.7%	27.3%*	‐	‐	‐
Moderate	31.7%	53.3%^	48.5%	‐	‐	‐
High	67.1%	43.3%	24.2%	40.1%*	55.3%	69.7%
Very high	0.6%	0.7%	‐	59.9%*	44.7%	30.3%
% Peak HR
Light	1.2%	0.7%	‐	‐	‐	‐
Moderate	24%*	47.3%	45.5%	1.2%	0.7%	‐
High	73.7%	50.7%^	54.5%	48.5%	61.3%	48.5%
Very high	1.2%	1.3%	‐	50.3%	38%	51.5%
% HRR
Light	57.5%*	34.7%	24.2%	1.8%	‐	‐
Moderate	37.1%*	56%	63.6%	12.6%	7.3%	3%
High	5.4%	9.3%	12.2%	76.6%	71.3%	57.6%
Very high	‐	‐	‐	9%*	21.3%	42.4%
	Correspondence of exercise intensity according to 2020 guidelines
% Peak VO2
Light	‐	0.7%	3%	‐	‐	‐
Moderate	79.6%	90%	93.9%^	0.6%	6%	‐
High	19.8%	8.7%^	3%	49.1%	56.7%	75.8%^
Very high	0.6%	0.7%	‐	50.3%	37.3%	24.2%
% Peak HR
Light	1.2%	0.7%	‐	‐	‐	‐
Moderate	43.1%*	73.3%	84.8%	0.6%	2.7%	‐
High	54.5%*	26%	15.2%	58.1%	69.3%	57.6%
Very high	1.2%	‐	‐	41.3%	28%	42.4%
% HRR
Light	58.7%*	34.7%	24.2%	1.8%	‐	‐
Moderate	41.3%*	62.6%	66.7%	38.9%	24.7%	3%
High	‐	2.7%	9.1%	51.5%	56%	66.7%
Very high	‐	‐	‐	8.4%*	19.3%	30.3%

Data are expressed as percentages of subjects stratified according to exercise intensity for each cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameter. *p<0.05 vs. other groups and ^p<0.05 vs. cardiac patients.

Abbreviations: HR, heart rate; HRR, heart rate reserve; VO₂, oxygen uptake.