Discussion
In the present study, we derived and internally validated novel advanced and accurate prediction models for VOThe main advantage of our research is the unified CPET protocol conducted on a wide cohort of endurance athletes with different levels of fitness. This approach enables the comprehensive evaluation of the most important predictors which were further applied to build prediction equations. In the current literature, prediction models for sports and performance diagnostics are mostly derived from narrow and specified athletic cohorts which limit their applicability to broader populations (An important issue addressed in publications on various attempts to estimate VOIn the Astrand-Ryhming method, a widely used VOAs VOIn sports medicine and exercise physiology, evaluation of the body’s functional performance remains crucial (It is worth mentioning the effect of body fat percentage on VOResults of internal validation show that our prediction models allow for an accurate assessment of VOOur study has some limitations. The applied exercise protocol may affect CPET results. There may be differences in performance measured in 2 min steps comparing to longer steps, but this should not significantly impact the participants’ exercise results. Additionally, longer constant intervals may increase accuracy in determining AT and RCP level, but have negligible impact on VOTo summarise, our study has vast practical applications in the comprehensive assessment of an athlete’s training and is a valuable tool for coaches in the preparation of individualised training prescriptions (