Oxygen uptake efficiency
Oxygen uptake efficiency is a way of identifying how well the body uses oxygen during exercise. It’s usually measured as the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES). A higher OUES means greater efficiency, so someone has to breathe less to get a given amount of oxygen.
OUES is an indicator of cardiorespiratory health. In ME/CFS, OUES has been found to be decreased, which means that some people with ME/CFS consume oxygen less efficiently.
As a valuable, objective measurement that can be assessed through a cardiopulmonary exercise test, OUES is a useful outcome measure in ME/CFS research. For example, OMF’s clinical trial, the Life Improvement Trial (LIFT), incorporates OUES as a primary outcome in the trial. Read more about the LIFT here.
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