Standard Deviation of Individual Response for VO2max Following Exercise Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Renwick, J., Preobrazenski, N., Wu, N., et al. · 2024
grade Bmeta-analysisindependentreplicatednumbers spot-checked
Sample
24 studies WITH non-exercise comparator arms
Population
Exercise-training interventions with control arms.
Design
The control-arm corrective to HERITAGE. Only studies with a non-exercise comparator can separate true individual response differences from measurement error and within-subject random variation.
Key findings
Undercuts the premise that 'trainability' is a stable heritable trait. Most variance in VO2max change scores is MEASUREMENT ERROR; the meta-analysed standard deviation of individual response 'does not provide strong evidence for a positive value' — i.e. not strong evidence that true VO2max trainability differences exist at all. Converges with Bonafiglia 2022 (IPD, 1,879 participants, 8 RCTs). In one reanalysis the CONTROL group's SD of change (+/-5.6 ml/kg/min) EXCEEDED the training group's (+/-3.7) — the opposite sign from a true response-heterogeneity signal.
Genetic confound
N/A — this is the design that tests whether the apparent trait exists before heritability is even estimable.
Replication notes
Converges with Bonafiglia et al. 2022 individual-participant-data meta-analysis.
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| True individual-response variance in VO2max after training | SD of individual response | no strong evidence for a positive value; most change-score variance is measurement error | standardized | post-training, control-arm comparison | business-as-usual | end-of-treatment | health |
Cited by
- Talent and trainability — what is heritable, and what that does not licensestrong supportconf: highgc: low