Kori, SPKutty, K.2025-05-142025-05-142024-12Kori SP, Kutty K.. The effect of handrail support on treadmill time and prediction of VO2max: A comparison study . National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 2024 Dec; 14(12): 2665-26682231-32062320-4672https://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/247847Background: Young Indians face a higher risk of myocardial infarction compared to Caucasians of the same age, with a sedentary lifestyle being a key risk factor (16). Regular physical activity can modify this risk, improving aerobic capacity and cardio-respiratory fitness. Oxygen uptake (VO2) estimates from treadmill tests, used for exercise prescriptions, assume no handrail support (HS), yet patients often use them, affecting energy expenditure and estimate accuracy. This study investigates the impact of HS on treadmill time (TT) and VO2 estimates in our population. Methods: The study involved 100 healthy male subjects aged 18–40 years from Sri Devraj Urs Medical College, Kolar. Basal heart rate and blood pressure were recorded, and electrocardiogram (ECG) chest electrodes were connected. Each subject performed two submaximal treadmill tests using the Bruce protocol, one with HS and one without, two weeks apart. Blood pressure was recorded at each stage and during recovery. TT, maximum heart rate, and VO2 max were calculated using the Bruce formula. All pertinent data was meticulously recorded in a Microsoft Excel Sheet and subsequently subjected to analysis through the utilization of SPSS-Software. Results: A significant difference was observed between the two conditions (with and without HS) for TT and VO2max, with a p-value of less than 0.001. Both TT and VO2max exhibited a strong positive correlation, with r values of 0.843 and 0.821, respectively, and a highly significant p-value of less than 0.001. TT predicted VO2max at 71.1% in the HS condition and 67.3% in the no HS condition, indicating an additional 4% effect on VO2max due to HS. Conclusion: Introducing HS significantly increases TT and VO2max. VO2max without HS can be accurately predicted independently of the protocol using a regression formula.Treadmill timeHandrail supportYoung IndiansPrediction of VO2maxExercise prescriptionJournal ArticleIndiaAssistant Professor, Department of Physiology, East Point College of Medical Sciences and Research centre, Bengaluru, IndiaFormer Professor & Head, Department of Physiology, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar, Karnataka, India