Being fit and healthy isn’t a modern-day fad or obsession with the body beautiful, your life

literally depends on it - and the quality of your life depends on it.

Physical degradation doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a slow insidious condition. What happens
is you start avoiding physical challenges which you used to have no problem with. Things such
as walking up the stairs in a shopping mall or running for the bus – slowly, slowly, the physical
vibrancy you once had diminishes to the point where you avoid anything which raises your
heart rate by twenty beats.

By the time you get to this stage you know your physical condition is poor, your everyday
experience confirms it, but what about the in-between stage? How fit are you now? Is your
subjective feeling borne out by objective data? If you’re over 30 and only go by how you feel,
are you really as fit as you think you are? Now you can find out.

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Two types of test:

1 Field tests
2 Laboratory tests

For the purpose of testing, field tests are perfectly adequate – they are ones you can do yourself,
generally, with little equipment or resources. Laboratory tests are performed in a clinical or lab
setting; you can choose to do these (you’ll have to pay) but they’re not necessary for the average
person. You can assess your fitness very simply using the tests I highlight here.

The tests I describe are physical capacity tests.

Your physical capacity tells you a lot about your physiological, metabolic and organismal
health. If you do well on these physical tests you are most likely systemically healthy. However,
if you wish to get a further insight into your current health you can get blood tests and scans;
perhaps you’ll find something which the physical capacity tests have failed to pick up.

Use the tests to objectively assess your current fitness, how it compares to your age cohort, and
what you may need to work on, i.e., your strengths and weaknesses.

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3 areas to test:

1 Aerobic capacity
2 Anaerobic capacity
3 Strength

I describe the main tests in each of these areas. After this, I’ve added other tests which I think
are interesting, easy to do, and fun (well, sort of). Plus, just to contradict what I’ve written
earlier, I’ve added some tests which are straightforward measurements (example, resting heart
rate) which don’t require physical exertion.

1 AEROBIC CAPACITY

Aerobic physical exercise depends primarily on the aerobic generating pathway, i.e., the use of
oxygen to meet energy demands. Its relatively low-intensity is such that fat or carbohydrates
are aerobically turned into energy via mitochondrial ATP production (oxidative
phosphorylation). ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the source of energy for all muscle
contractions. This stage of ATP production relies on delivery of oxygen via the heart, lungs,
arteries and capillaries to the working muscles.

Aerobic endurance is your ability to exercise at a moderate intensity for extended periods of
time. Examples; long-distance running, cycling, swimming and triathlons. It is also known as
aerobic fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) or cardiovascular (CV) endurance.

VO2max is the standard measurement of aerobic fitness, it refers to the volume of oxygen your
body can absorb and use during aerobic exercise; specifically, millilitres of oxygen, per
kilogram bodyweight, per minute (mL/kg/min). The greater your VO2max, the more oxygen
your body can consume, and the more effectively your body can use that oxygen to generate
the maximum amount of ATP. The higher your VO2max the more aerobically fit you are.

Research finds that high cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) is strongly correlated with a
reduced risk of death, independent of age, sex, ethnicity and comorbidities. Further, that every
1 ml/kg/min increase in VO2 max is associated with a 9% relative risk reduction of all-cause
mortality, apparently without an upper limit. Interestingly, physical activity in the absence of
improvements to VO2 max doesn’t appear to confer the same survival benefit in those whose
VO2 max increases compared with those whose VO2 max doesn’t. Long-term aerobic fitness
reduction is associated with an increased risk of mortality.

References:

‘Long-term change in cardiorespiratory fitness and all-cause mortality: a population-based

follow-up study’ (2016) - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27444976/
‘The upper limit of cardiorespiratory fitness associated with longevity: an update’ (2019) -
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6779597/

‘Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with long-term mortality among adults undergoing

exercise treadmill testing’ (2018) -
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2707428

VO2 max can be directly measured in a lab test or indirectly assessed via a field test you can
do yourself. Take a few days off training before you test yourself to make sure you are well
recovered and fresh. Doing a test with tired legs or when fatigued will give you a lower score.
Make sure you have a good warm-up before the test!

Aerobic Fitness Tests

The Cooper 12-minute walk/run

The object is to try and cover as much distance as possible in 12 minutes. You’ll need to run
on a running track or measured circuit so you know the distance you’ve completed. Walking
is allowed but the object is to push yourself to cover as much distance as possible!

The formula for finding your VO2max:

VO2max = (35.97 x distance in miles) - 11.29

VO2max = (22.351 x distance in kilometres) - 11.288

[Example: Distance completed = 1.5 miles. (35.97 x 1.5 = 53.95). 53.955 minus 11.29 = 42.6
VO2max]

Like all VO2 max tests the result is greatly affected by motivation. You may not be used to
running hard for 12 minutes so a few attempts over a week may be useful to get used to pacing.

Note: You can do this test on a treadmill set to ‘level 1’ (1%) incline to mimic outdoor running.

The Cooper 1.5mile/2.4km run

This test is most likely easier to administer as the distance is fixed. Record your finishing time
and use this equation:

VO2max = (483 / time) + 3.5

Simple. What isn’t simple is you need to push yourself!

The multistage fitness test

The test is also known as the bleep test, beep test and the 20m shuttle run test. It involves
continuous running between two lines 20m apart in time to recorded beeps. The speed at the
beginning is slow. The aim is to run the 20m between beeps. Every minute or so, the beeps get
closer together, meaning that you gradually have to run faster to keep up with the beeps.
Description of how to perform this test - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-stage_fitness_test

I love this test. It starts off very easy but ends up verrrry hard! Everyone should do this test
once in their life. You can also do it with other people which brings an additional competitive
element to it.

You can buy the test as a compact disk or find it online. With the test comes information which
converts the level you’ve achieved into a VO2max score

Online VO2max calculators

There are online VO2max calculators which convert any run time you have for 1500m up to
31 miles.

Example: https://www.omnicalculator.com/sports/vo2-max-runners

Easy!

Smart (GPS) watches

If you have a smart watch; fitbit, apple, samsung galaxy, garmin etc – you can ignore other
tests (if you wish) as they can assess your VO2max just from ten-minutes of walking, hiking
or running. As it is based on your heart rate, you’ll get a more accurate assessment from using
a chest monitor.

Choose these watches carefully if you are interested in tracking your aerobic endurance
improvements, as the apple watch (for instance) has a VO2max assessment limit of
60mL/kg/min – acceptable for the average person, not for a well-trained athlete.

Because they are not direct measurements, all field tests have sources of error which can lead
to over or under-estimations of aerobic capacity. However, if you are using the same testing
protocol (or watch) in the same way, over time – you’ll at least know the trajectory of your
aerobic fitness.
Note: It’s possible to calculate your VO2max by dividing your maximum heart rate by your
resting heart rate, then multiplying the result by 15.3. This is a very unreliable method; do not
use any method which assesses VO2max without any physical activity.

Once you have a VO2max figure you can compare it with the population norms:

https://www.fitnescity.com/understanding-vo2-max

Where are you? Is your aerobic fitness acceptable?

There may or may not be an upper limit on health/mortality benefits from improvements in
VO2max. I would argue most individuals, especially 40 years and older, are nowhere near that
limit.
2 ANAEROBIC CAPACITY

To fuel intense exercise lasting more than a few seconds, the muscles rely on the Anaerobic
Glycolytic energy pathway to meet demand. A by-product of anaerobic glycolysis is lactic acid.
The lactic acid separates into a hydrogen ions and lactate within the muscle fibres. Lactate is
used as fuel in the presence of oxygen. Elevated levels of hydrogen ions cause the muscle to
become more acidic – metabolic acidosis. The creation of lactic acid (which needs oxygen to
be broken down) generates an oxygen debt that needs to be repaid after exercise stops. Why
you keep breathing deeply after intense exercise.

The anaerobic glycolytic pathway can only produce enough energy to fuel 2 to 3 minutes of
intense exercise. Prolonged, or repeated, intense exercise is painful! It is not the same as a one-
rep max in the gym (alactic anaerobic) and it is not the same as low or moderate endurance
exercise (aerobic).

A basic overview of anaerobic capacity here: https://www.physio-

pedia.com/Anaerobic_Capacity

Anaerobic capacity is the ‘poor relation’ as far as health and longevity research is concerned,
yet, I believe it is crucial to retain the ability to generate and bear repeated high-muscular
(intense) output which generates acidosis, a high heart rate and the ‘burn’ you feel in your
muscles. The sort of ability a 400m or 800m runner has.

In my opinion this ability degrades earlier than strength and endurance as one ages. Maybe,
partly because it is so painful that people avoid doing it. I believe it makes logical sense to
retain the ability to generate extremes even if we haven’t scientific evidence to back it up. If
we see that young animals are more capable in their physical abilities than older animals, we
can say with a good amount of certainty that retaining those qualities will help keep us young.
More specifically, the things we need to do to retain those abilities keep us young. By what
process they keep us young is neither here nor there. If you ask, “why do I need to train so hard
that I induce the burning sensation of acidosis? How does it benefit me?” My response would
be that you used to be able to do it.

A 2019 study found that lactic acid (as sodium lactate, injected into the blood stream) in mice,
keeps them young by assisting in the production of mitochondria, the power generators in every
cell. Aging is partly the result of a ‘cellular energy crisis’ from a reduction in the number of
mitochondria in the cells. The consequence is that the cells start to function less well as a result
of the energy shortage. The study concluded, ‘our results suggest that lactate, which is well
known to be increased during exercise, also acts as a signal for upregulating genes related to
mitochondrial function’, and, ‘although the skeletal muscle is the primary site of lactate
production, the effects of lactate may not be limited to the skeletal muscle."
Yes, I know, this is in mice.

Here: ‘Lactate administration increases mRNA expression of PGC-1α and UCP3 in mouse
skeletal muscle’: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27218871/

Wingate Test

The Wingate Test is a good indicator of anaerobic capacity and power, however, it can only be
done in a laboratory type setting. It is performed on a cycle ergometer, requiring the subject
(you!) to cycle at maximal effort for 30seconds. The ergo is hooked-up to a device which
measures peak power output, relative (i.e., adjusted for weight) peak power output, anaerobic
fatigue and anaerobic capacity.

Details, normative data and percentiles here:

https://www.scienceforsport.com/wingate-anaerobic-test/

Note: There is a running based sprint test which measures the same parameters.
Here: https://www.scienceforsport.com/running-based-anaerobic-sprint-test-rast/

Most exercise involves ATP being synthesised through a mix of all three energy systems (ATP-
PC, lactic, aerobic). What determines which system is most dominant at any time is the
intensity and duration of exercise.

Terms:

Aerobic threshold (AeT) – the point at which your anaerobic energy system begins to
contribute more to your total energy production. Blood lactate levels starts to rise. Aerobic
energy production is still very dominant. For reasonably fit individuals, AeT is around 72-80%
of maximum heart-rate.

Anaerobic threshold (AT) – the point at which lactate clearance can no longer keep up with
accumulation. Beyond this point lactate accumulation begins to rise exponentially. Both
aerobic and anaerobic energy systems are still being utilised, however, all additional energy
production will be derived anaerobically. Also known as Lactate threshold and OBLA (Onset
of Blood Lactate Accumulation)

I don’t want to bombard you with terminology but it is important to realise that the more
aerobically fit you are the more you delay the onset of acidosis from the anaerobic breakdown
of carbohydrate for energy. In other words, you can work at a higher intensity or heart rate and
still be primarily using the aerobic system – your aerobic capacity is higher (a higher
VO2max). Further, the more aerobically fit you are, the better your recovery during the rest
periods of repeated anaerobic exercise.
Currently, I am training to achieve 100 continuous squats (one set) with a bodyweight barbell
on my shoulders. This places tremendous demands on my cardiovascular and anaerobic system.
If I was less aerobically fit it would affect my ability to achieve 100 squats even if my anaerobic
capacity was good.

You need to tease out what is limiting you on your repeated high-output efforts (sprinting,
rowing, cycling, weight-training, and so on) – is it truly your anaerobic capacity or your aerobic
capacity, or both?

Can you devise a test or session yourself (squats, interval running, chin-up, dips, push-ups, etc)
and track your progress over time?

3 STRENGTH

Two words you should familiarise yourself with are Sarcopenia and Dynapenia. You may not
be interested in them but they are interested in you.

From ‘World Class Fitness’ (see end of paper):

Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is the loss muscle mass that occurs with advancing age. This loss of muscle mass
is associated with increased adverse outcomes including falls, functional decline, frailty, and
mortality.

Further reading:
https://www.rcpjournals.org/content/clinmedicine/17/4/363
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.688526/full

Dynapenia

Dynapenia is the loss of muscle strength rather than muscle mass. Some research has found
that dynapenia may be a greater risk of frailty in age than sarcopenia. It involves deficits in the
structure and function of the nervous system and impairments in the intrinsic force-generating
properties of skeletal muscle.

Further reading:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3571692/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynapenia
What this means is you need to do some form of regular resistance training to offset the
trajectory of aging.

A 2008 study found that, ‘Muscular strength is inversely and independently associated with
death from all causes and cancer in men, even after adjusting for cardiorespiratory fitness and
other potential confounders’.

‘Association Between Muscular Strength and Mortality in Men: Prospective Cohort Study’:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2453303/

‘Muscle Mass Index as a Predictor of Longevity in Older Adults’:

https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(14)00138-7/fulltext

Grip Strength

Grip strength is a good indicator of overall strength and can be measured using an instrument
called a dynamometer ( https://www.medicalsupplies.co.uk/hand-grip-dynamometers.html ).

Grip strength is generally consistent as an explanator of overall strength, upper limb function,
bone mineral density, fractures, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep
problems, diabetes, multimorbidity, and quality of life.

‘Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker for Older Adults’:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6778477

Grip strength norms for adults

https://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/handgrip.htm
In my opinion it is better to measure grip strength along with leg strength for a more accurate
indicator.

Therefore, two other areas I suggest you test. Note: If you are not used to deadlifting or
squatting, you will need to familiarise yourself with the correct technique!

Deadlift
Squats
4 ADDITIONAL ‘TESTS’

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Being overweight shortens life. Research by the Oxford University found that moderate obesity
reduces life expectancy by about 3 years. Severe obesity can shorten a person’s life by 10 years
– equivalent to the effects of lifelong smoking.

Here: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2009-03-18-moderate-obesity-takes-years-life-expectancy

Not only does it shorten life but it’s associated or implicated in various metabolic and physical
chronic conditions, i.e., a reduced quality of life.

BMI is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. The
BMI calculation divides an adult's weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared. Thus,
a BMI of 25 means 25kg/m2.

You can work it out quite simply with this formula: BMI = kg/m2

If you are terrible at figures, you can find an online calculator! Here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-
well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/

World Health Organisation (WHO) Adult BMI Categories

Hip-Waist Ratio (HWR)

HWR measures the ratio of your waist circumference to your hip circumference. It determines
how much fat is stored on your waist, hips, and buttocks. HWR has been shown to be an
indicator or measure of health, and the risk of developing serious health conditions.

Research: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241501491

You can work it out for yourself by dividing your waist circumference by your hip
circumference. Make sure you take the measurements correctly! The WHO states that’s
abdominal obesity is defined as a waist–hip ratio above 0.90 for males and above 0.85 for
females

Protocol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist%E2%80%93hip_ratio

As usual there are online calculators: https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/waist-hip-ratio

https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/tools-calculators/

Blood Pressure (BP)

Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down throughout the day and night, and it’s normal
for it to go up while you’re moving about. There are many factors which can (acutely) it.
However, when your BP is consistently high, even when resting, you need to do something
about it. High BP means your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body.
Amongst other conditions it can lead to heart attack, stroke. Kidney problems and vascular
dementia.

Most people develop high blood pressure because of their diet, lifestyle or medical condition.
There are also familial and genetic components; however (like every health condition) a healthy
diet and physical exercise will only have positive impacts.

High BP is often called ‘the silent killer’ as many people are unaware they have it. My advice
is to check your blood pressure!
More information:

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-
pressure/what-is-high-blood-pressure

https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/your-blood-pressure/understanding-your-blood-
pressure/what-do-the-numbers-mean/

You can purchase blood pressure cuffs and monitors online or from your pharmacist, plus there
are some wearables which can measure it. Be aware that you should measure your BP a number
of times to get an accurate reading, and that there are a number of non-clinical reasons which
transiently could affect your BP readings; alcohol, stress, stimulants, exercise, etc

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings

Resting Heart Rate (RHR)

RHR is the number of times your heart beats per minute whilst you’re at rest. A lower heart
rate at rest implies a more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness.

Tachycardia: A RHR over 100 beats per minute (bpm) at rest.

Bradycardia: A RHR below 60 bpm at rest. Note: An RHR below 60 bpm is very common for
fit individuals and not a clinical problem, quite the reverse. A RHR of 40–50 bpm during sleep
is also common and is considered normal.
Studies show that a high RHR is associated with an increase in all-cause mortality and a shorter
life expectancy. It is an independent risk factor for heart disease and heart failure, regardless
of level of physical fitness. Every 10 bpm increase in RHR is associated with a 10–20%
increase in risk of death.

Research:

https://heart.bmj.com/content/101/1/44
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20362720/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22718796/

You can check your RHR very simply by taking your pulse on waking before you get out of
bed. Be aware that many factors can affect you RHR apart from your fitness: Fatigue,
exercise/psychological stress, caffeine, stimulants, heat, cold, smoking and certain
medications. Further, there is an independent genetic element, meaning an up to a 20bpm
variation between individuals.

Smart watches and wearables can track your heart rate over 24hrs, making it very easy to
monitor.

https://www.whoop.com/thelocker/resting-heart-rate-by-age-and-gender/

Note: The upper table is male; lower is female.

 ***************************************

If you have done well on the tests and measurements herein, you are in good shape,
congratulations! All you need to do is retain your fitness. If there is room for improvement,
don’t worry, a well-thought-out exercise program will lead to substantial improvements. It is
never too late to start!

It feels damn good to be fit, strong and healthy - and you’ll be setting a fine example to the
people around you.

Good luck!

PS: Please see my other products on Gumroad for further advice and information. Some are
free, some are paid for.

Here: https://markbaker.gumroad.com/

- Gang Fit 1 to 3
- Anaerobics: Destruction & Reconstruction
- Guru Anaerobics Bookshelf
- Six- Pack at 60
- Guru’s Ark
- Escaping Entrapment
- Run a faster Mile

I offer one-to-one video calls (see, ‘Guru’s Ark’) + email consultations. My email is
markanaerobic@gmail.com – feel free to contact me.