submaximal

adjective

sub·​max·​i·​mal ˌsəb-ˈmak-s(ə-)məl 

variants or sub-maximal

: less than maximal : not at the greatest or highest possible level

submaximal exertion

One hundred twenty asymptomatic patients underwent a submaximal treadmill exercise test two to three weeks after an acute myocardial infarction.

—JAMA

submaximally adverb

or sub-maximally

[Don] Mattingly said left-hander Paco Rodriguez … is throwing submaximally but will not return to the Dodgers before rosters expand.

—Pedro Moura

Examples of submaximal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The two submaximal sessions have a much smaller impact—a convincing illustration of the potential drawbacks of overly simple training load metrics like TWD. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 8 June 2022

Aerobic enzyme activity and the amount of fat used during submaximal exercise also increased more by training twice every second day compared with training once daily. —Jason Karp, Outside Online, 10 Feb. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

submaximal

adjective

sub·​max·​i·​mal ˌsəb-ˈmak-s(ə-)məl 

: being less than the maximum of which an individual is capable

submaximal exercise