Assignment 1: Laboratory Report 1
• Weighting: 20%.
• Task: To complete a laboratory report evaluating maximal oxygen uptake (V?O2max). To do this, you will be required to undertake the laboratory (on campus). The results for the laboratory report will be provided after the laboratory, but you can begin the introduction and methods sections whenever you are ready to do so.
• Outline: A large part of your job as an exercise physiologist is to write laboratory reports of experiments or exercise tests that you complete. This information is then provided to sport and exercise scientists, athletes, coaches, the general public and/or patients.
• Reference materials: Text Books
• Lundby, C., Montero, D., & Joyner, M. (2017). Biology of VO2max: looking under the physiology lamp. Acta Physiologica, 220(2), 218-228.
• Levine, B. D. (2008). VO2max: what do we know, and what do we still need to know?
Journal of Physiology, 586(1), 25-34. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2007.147629
FOR JOURNAL FINDINGS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
You are also required to search for your own primary peer reviewed references.
• Formatting: The report should be double spaced throughout (except for table and figure legends, which can be single spaced). Use Times New Roman font size 12, and page margins of 2.5 cm. Stick to the page allocation of each section. This is important because all laboratory reports whether it is for a coach, athlete, patient or research need to be concise and to the point. You will lose marks for incorrect formatting. Any extra parts of the assignment outside of the formatting limit will not be marked.
• Plagiarism: Please see StudyDesk for an explanation of plagiarism. Do not plagiarise in any circumstances.
• Example: An example of a laboratory report is ATTACHED.

The laboratory report
Structure the report into the following sections: Introduction – Methods – Results – Discussion – References.
Introduction
• This section is used to provide background on V?O2max.
• What are you are being assessed on: The depth and breadth of background reading. Depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Synthesis of published literature.
• Weighting: 15% of marks
• Page allowance: 1 side of A4.
• What are you required to do in this section:
o Explain what V?O2max is. What physiological systems limit and determine
V?O2max?
o Explain why it may be important to test V?O2max. What can be done with the results?
o Describe what type of test is used to measure V? O2max. How is the test conducted?
Methods
• This section describes the procedures followed and equipment used. A good methods section has enough detail to allow another investigator to duplicate the test. A video of the test and the equipment used is ATTACHED.
• What you are being assessed on: Participants and protocol description accuracy. Equipment description accuracy.
• Weighting: 15% of marks
• Page allowance: 1 side of A4.
• What you are required to do in this section:
o Describe the details about the participant that took part in the test. Information to include: Their age, height and weight.
o Describe the type of ergometer used in the test and state the work rate and increments of the test. For example, how did power output increase throughout the test?
o Explain what measurements were taken and over what time period was
V?O2max was determined.
o Describe what equipment that was used, the type, what company provided the equipment and the location (city and country) of the company. E.g., the participant exercised on a cycle ergometer (Lode; Gronginen, NL).

Results
• This section should simply present your factual findings. The results of the tests are on StudyDesk. Interpretation and opinions related to the results should be included in the Discussion, not in the Results.
• What you are being assessed on: Overall presentation of data, including presentation order and use of appropriate measurement units and labels. Accuracy of data analyses (calculations). Sufficient text that promotes understanding of the results.
• Weighting: 30% of marks
• Page allowance: 1 side of A4.
• What you are required to do in this section:
o Results should include 1 Figure and 1 Table.
o Figure 1 should show a plot of oxygen uptake (V?O2) in L/min against power output in W. The axes of the figure should be correctly labelled.
o Table 1 should report power output in W, minute ventilation (V?E) STPD in L/min and V?O2 in mL/kg/min.
o Provide some text to describe the most important findings. How did your measurements increase or decrease during the test? Did you see a plateau in V?O2?
Discussion
• This section is used to discuss and interpret your results.
• What you are being assessed on: Depth and breadth of background reading. Depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Analysis and interpretation of findings. Synthesis and analysis of published literature. Comparison of results to published literature.
• Weighting: 30% of marks
• Page allowance: 2 sides of A4.
• What you are required to do in this section:
o Describe the major findings of the test.
o Synthesise and analyse how your results compare to other studies in the literature.
o Explain and analyse what energy systems and metabolic substrates were utilised a different points of the exercise test.
o Explain and analyse the mechanisms responsible for the increase in V?O2 during the exercise test.
o Explain and analyse the relationship between V?O2max and performance. Is V?O2max the best predictor of endurance exercise performance? What other tests could test could be used?
o Analyse the possible sources of error of the test.
o Conclude the findings of the test.

References
• Each statement that you provide need to be supported by a reference. These should be primary references from peer reviewed journals. Not from websites. If you cite websites, you will receive zero marks for that piece of information.
• APA 7 format?
• What you are being assessed on: Presentation and accuracy of references cited in the text and reference list.
• What you are required to do in this section: Support each statement that you make with a reference. Do not reference lecture material or websites. You have no clue as to what website are saying is correct. They are not reviewed. Reference primary (journal articles) as much as possible. Review articles and books if you have to.
• Weighting: 10% of marks
• Page allowance: MAINLY 5 PAGES As many as is required.

Feedback from Previous Years
• Read the assignment instructions and follow them as much as possible.
• Switching between abbreviations and full words. As soon as you use an abbreviation consistently use this.
• Getting straight to the point – No waffle. This is why only a certain page number for each section. The section needs to be clear and concise.
• Write in past tense always. Even in methods section.
• Units for numbers are very important. Some measurements can have different units so it is important that we know what they are.
• Dot above V important to show rate of change or change over time.
• Check your work. There were lots of spelling and typing mistakes.
• Use the assignment example for how to present figures and tables.
• Do not reference lecture material or websites. You have no clue as to what website are saying is correct. They are not reviewed. Reference primary (journal articles) as much as possible. Review articles and books if you have to.
• Define abbreviations in the first instance.
• Formatting of tables and figures. Use the example.
• Labels/legends for figures and tables. Should be at bottom for the figure and above for the tables. Make sure they describe very briefly what the table or figure is showing. For example, “Figure 1: changes in oxygen consumption during an incremental test”
• Detail is where you get your marks. This shows that you have actually read the references and understood them. For example, “Wayne et al. (2016) found that 6 weeks of cycle ergometry training that incorporated 6 x 1 min sprints 3 days per week improved maximal oxygen uptake by 10%”. The detail has been highlighted.
• Use modern/new references where possible. In the last 10-15 years is best. I know you have not read articles that are from 1924. Furthermore some people referenced articles that were in French. Unless you speak French fluently, I am pretty sure you have not read this.
• Paraphrase or write in your own words for the sciences. Do not quote.
• Refer to the table or figures within the text. For example “Heart rate increased with power output (Table 1)” or “Figure 1 shows that oxygen uptake plateaued at maximal exercise”.
• Any time you report data make sure that you refer or explain it in the text. For example, “Respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion all increased throughout the test (Table 1)”
• The formatting of referencing needs to be consistent.
• Remember not a rate of perceived exertion, but a rating of perceived exertion.
• DO NOT PLAIGARISE! I want you to work together, but do not use the same sentence as somebody else. It is very obvious when you have lifted material from another

book or website. Especially when reports are full of mistakes and then suddenly there is a word perfect paragraph. There were several reports who had made the same mistake with oxygen uptake results.
• Use of American spelling. For example, utilize vs utilise.
• Ensure that you just describe how power output increased. For example, “Power output increased by 50 W every 3 minutes until the participant reached the point of volitional tolerance”
• Rule of thumb for decimal places. 1 number = 2 decimal places (1.25 L/min); 2 numbers = 1 decimal place (12.5 L/min); 3 numbers = 0 decimal place (125 L/min). This rule does not apply though to heart rate and breathing frequency as you cannot have a part of a heart beat or breath. These have to be whole numbers (125 beats/min or 13 breaths/min).
• Define what period V?O2max was measured. For example, “V?O2max was defined as the highest V?O2 during any 1 minute period during the test”
• If you are using EndNote you still need to check the references. Do not rely on EndNote to be correct. It often is not. Check for punctuation, italics etc. Make sure page numbers etc are included.
• Do not include the units next to the measurements in the text or in table or figure legends. For example, “power output (W), minute ventilation (L/min) and V?O2 (mL/kg/min) during the test”. This should be written “power output, minute ventilation and V?O2 during the test”.
o If you are then including numbers for the measures, include the units after the numbers. For example, “power output was 200 W at the end of exercise”.
• Define abbreviations in the first instance and in table and figure labels if you axis titles are abbreviated. Also, use these labels to give an accurate description of what is being shown. For example, “Table 1. Power output, minute ventilation (V?E) and oxygen uptake (V?O2) during incremental cycling exercise”.
• If your table and figure are from the same test (which they were), the labels should be very similar.
• Ensure that you check you results against published data or those in the lecture material.
• Double check you work before submission. Several students submitted incorrect files and some were littered with spelling mistakes. These can easily be checked, by yourself and someone else.
• Describe all the results you have presented, including minute ventilation. How did they increase/decrease/change.
• Use the examples for formatting of figures and tables.
• Be consistent with abbreviations. Define in the first instance and use thereafter.
• Ensure that you recognise that V?O2max is not referred to as maximal oxygen uptake they are the same thing. Ie., V?O2max is the abbreviation for maximal oxygen uptake. The sentence should begin “Maximal oxygen uptake (V?O2max) is ”
• In the discussion, only discuss results that you actually presented. Ie., do not discuss V?E
ATPS or Nitrogen values.
• The dot above the V is important because it denotes a rate of change.
• Detail is required when comparing other studies. What exactly did they do, how did they evaluate V?O2max?

• Do not discuss the results in the Results section. Simply describe how they changed during the test and what they were.
• Do not include participants names.
• Be consistent with the way units are presented and do not switch between i.e., ml·kg- 1·min-1 and mL/kg/min.
• The important thing to note is that V?O2max is very similar amongst trained individuals. It is the percentage of V?O2max that can be sustained that tells us how well they will be performed and this can be measured using critical power and lactate threshold testing.

Category Weighting High Distinction (At least 85%) Distinction (75% but less than 85%) Credit (At least 65% but less than 75%) Pass (At least 50% but less than 65%) Fail (Less than 50%)
Introduction
15% (3
marks) Excellent depth and breadth of background reading.
Excellent depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Excellent synthesis and analysis of published
literature. Very good depth and breadth of background reading. Very good depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Very good synthesis and analysis of published
literature. Good depth and breadth of background reading. Good depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Good synthesis and analysis of published literature. Satisfactory depth and breadth of background reading. Satisfactory depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Satisfactory synthesis and analysis of
published literature. Unsatisfactory depth and breadth of background reading. Unsatisfactory depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Unsatisfactory synthesis and analysis of
published literature.
Methods
15% (3
marks) Excellent description and accuracy of participants and protocol. Excellent description and accuracy of
equipment. Very good description and accuracy of participants and protocol. Very good description and accuracy of
equipment. Good description and accuracy of participants and protocol. Good description and accuracy of equipment. Satisfactory description and accuracy of participants and protocol. Satisfactory description and accuracy of
equipment. Unsatisfactory description and accuracy of participants and protocol. Unsatisfactory description and accuracy of
equipment.
Results
30% (6
marks) Excellent overall presentation of data, including presentation order and use of appropriate measurement units and labels. Excellent accuracy of data analyses. Sufficient text that promotes an excellent understanding of the results. Very good overall presentation of data, including presentation order and use of appropriate measurement units and labels. Very good accuracy of data analyses. Sufficient text that promotes a very good understanding of the results.
Good overall presentation of data, including presentation order and use of appropriate measurement units and labels. Good accuracy of data analyses. Sufficient text that promotes a good understanding of the results. Satisfactory overall presentation of data, including presentation order and use of appropriate measurement units and labels. Satisfactory accuracy of data analyses. Sufficient text that promotes a satisfactory understanding of
the results. Unsatisfactory overall presentation of data, including presentation order and use of appropriate measurement units and labels. Unsatisfactory accuracy of data analyses.
Sufficient text that promotes
an unsatisfactory understanding of the results.
Discussion
30% (6
marks) Excellent depth and breadth of background reading.
Excellent depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Excellent analysis and interpretation of findings.
Excellent synthesis and analysis of published literature. Excellent comparison of results to published literature. Very good depth and breadth of background reading. Very good depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Very good analysis and interpretation of findings.
Very good synthesis and analysis of published literature. Very good comparison of results to published literature.
Good depth and breadth of background reading. Good depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Good analysis and interpretation of findings.
Good synthesis and analysis of published literature. Very good comparison of results to published literature. Satisfactory depth and breadth of background reading. Satisfactory depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Satisfactory analysis and interpretation of findings. Satisfactory synthesis and analysis of published literature.
Satisfactory comparison of results to published
literature. Unsatisfactory depth and breadth of background reading. Unsatisfactory depth and breadth of scientific knowledge, comprehension and analysis. Unsatisfactory analysis and interpretation of findings. Unsatisfactory synthesis and analysis of published literature.
Unsatisfactory comparison of results to published
literature.
References 10% (2
marks) No errors. Very few errors. Some errors. Many errors. Mostly errors.