Brianna Jones

SER 311 01: Testing and Exercise Prescription Lab

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Tests

February 28, 2023

Dr. Larouere
BACKGROUND

Cardiorespiratory fitness describes how the respiratory system (lungs) and the

cardiovascular system (heart, vessels, and blood) work in unison to take oxygen to the muscles to

help prolong physical activity and exercise. The respiratory system takes in oxygen from the air

and passes it into the bloodstream in the vessels through a process called gas exchange. From

there, the blood will take the oxygen to the working muscles, meaning the muscles that are

mainly responsible for the movement being produced. The muscles are able to pull the oxygen

from the bloodstream and use it to further muscle contraction during the activity. The more

oxygen that is pulled from the bloodstream by the muscles, the higher level of cardiorespiratory

fitness an individual has. This also means an individual should be able to participate in longer or

more intense aerobic exercise, such as jogging, biking, or walking.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is assessed to determine the level of aerobic fitness an

individual possesses. This is not only important for athletes and people who participate in regular

exercise, but in general for all people who participate in daily activities. Aerobic activity is a part

of everyday life, even if it is just light intensity walking. For example, walking to classes on a

college campus requires aerobic activity. This is assessed in athletes to determine their ability to

withstand long periods of exercise. In “lay” individuals, cardiorespiratory fitness is assessed to

determine the safety of self-sufficiency. The minimum value of cardiorespiratory fitness,

VO2max which will be defined later, to be deemed safe to be self-sufficient is 13 mL/kg/min.

This can be tested through a variety of tests that measure for heart rate and compare it to age,

weight, and gender. Cardiorespiratory fitness values can determine how much aerobic exercise,

at any intensity, an individual can withstand before becoming severely fatigued or unsafe to

continue with exercise.

DATA

As well as conducting cardiorespiratory tests, I participated in them. As far as personal

data, I am a 20 year old female. I am 5’3” and 140 pounds (64kg). My current aerobic training

program consists of walking/jogging for one hour at least 2-3 times per week. Due to time

constraints, this is what is the most ideal for my lifestyle. My predicted VO2max for different

types of exercise can be seen in the chart below.

Table 1. Personal Data for Cardiorespiratory Fitness - Bri Jones

Name of Test Date of Test Test Score Interpretation Confidence in

(VO2max) of Score Accuracy of
(mL/kg/min) Test Results

Treadmill Walk 2/9/23 Poor Not confident

due to heart
28.25 monitor failure

Treadmill Walk 2/10/23 Poor Not confident

due to
malfunctioning
equipment and
31.1 chaotic protocol

Treadmill Jog 2/9/23 Fair Very confident -

working
equipment and
38.06 correct protocol

Treadmill Jog 2/13/23 Fair Very confident -

administrator
39.1 was confident

Treadmill Jog 2/17/23 Fair Very confident -

working
monitors and
followed the
38.21 protocol exactly
Table 1. Personal Data for Cardiorespiratory Fitness - Bri Jones

Name of Test Date of Test Test Score Interpretation Confidence in

(VO2max) of Score Accuracy of
(mL/kg/min) Test Results

Treadmill Jog 2/21/23 38.13 Fair Slightly

confident - some
measurements
were a little bit
off

YMCA Bike 2/14/23 34.69 Good Mostly confident

- some readings
seemed slightly
off, but protocol
was followed

YMCA Bike 2/17/23 22.6 Poor Not very

confident -
malfunctioning
equipment and
improper
protocol

YMCA Bike 2/23/23 23.3 Poor Confident -

proper protocol
and confident
administrator

12 Minute 2/21/23 15.55 Very poor Not confident -

Walk/Run due to not
measuring heart
rate and only
distance

Liguori, G., Feito, Y., Fountaine, C., & Roy, B. A. (2022). Health-Related Physical Fitness

Testing and Interpretation. In ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription

(11th ed., pp. 75–92). essay, Wolters Kluwer.

DISCUSSION OF TEST RESULTS

VO2max is the main measurement taken to assess cardiorespiratory fitness. This

measurement can be defined as the amount of oxygen the body takes in to maintain function and

muscle contraction during exercise. VO2max can change based on oxygen extraction from the

blood by the working muscles during repeated contractions. There is central and peripheral

VO2max - central is the oxygen taken in by the thorax and peripheral is oxygen taken in by the

appendages for movement.

In the tests that were performed on me, there was a significant amount of variability in

my predicted VO2max values. The values within each test did not vary too differently from each

other, however the small differences in values could be due to the use of different speeds in each

test. For example, during my first jog test, I jogged at a speed of 4.5 mph but in the following

tests, I jogged at 4.3 mph. The same criteria is true for the difference in walk test values. The

variability in VO2max values within the YMCA Bike Test, since speed cannot change, could be

due to slight differences in my heart rate response. For all the bike tests that were conducted on

me, my heart rate elicited the same workload. However, the ending heart rate value during my

final stage could be higher due to factors such as caffeine, exhaustion, or underlying anxiety. If

the ending heart rate value was higher, it would cause me to have a decreased VO2max, showing

decreased cardiorespiratory fitness. The variability between the different types of tests, though,

could be stemming from the difference in difficulty. Personally, I thought the YMCA Bike Test

was more difficult than either of the treadmill tests or the tests performed on the track.

VO2max can be estimated through submaximal exercise tests based on a few key points

or assumptions. However, if these assumptions are not met, it is likely that the calculated

VO2max value is incorrect. One of the main assumptions that are important in submaximal tests
is that heart rate should reach a “steady state” every time workload increases. A normal and

healthy individual should reach this state within 2-3 minutes in each workload. If steady state is

not reached before the end of the test, for example heart rate at minute 3 of a bike test is 119 bpm

and heart rate at minute 4 of a bike test is 135 bpm, the calculation of VO2max would be

incorrect because the “true” heart rate evoked by any of the workloads was never reached. A

second assumption is that heart rate and intensity are linear, meaning they both increase or

decrease at the same time. If these variables become inversely proportional during a test, the

VO2max calculation could be incorrect due to the workload not inducing the proper heart rate.

This does not necessarily mean that something is wrong, but it means they have reached their

maximum possible heart rate. A third assumption used in estimating VO2max is that mechanical

efficiency is equal for everyone. Everyone is physically able to get on a bike and pedal, however

certain aspects, such as the incorrect seat height, may make this more difficult. This would cause

the produced VO2max to not be correct, as it was not the individual’s best performance. Another

example would be how the length of an individual’s legs may make a jog test easier compared to

an individual with shorter legs. A fourth assumption is that the individual is not taking any

medication that will alter their heart rate. If a test is performed on an individual on a medication,

their heart rate produced by the workload is not technically accurate, as it is being

changed/altered by that medication.

Because of these assumptions, I believe that the Treadmill Walk test is the most accurate

in determining VO2max. Walking is a common activity of daily living for most people. It should

not cause many, if any, complications or do anything to invalidate the assumptions. This test

seems to give the most accurate measurement of VO2max due to the simplicity of it.
LEARNING

The main critiques my observers mentioned to me were during my first few YMCA Bike

tests. Before even beginning the lab, I knew this was the test I would have the most issues

administering. Most of the critiques dealt with the logistics of the test, specifically keeping my

measurements on time and reminding the client to keep pace with the metronome. All of these

critiques were presented to me with helpful tips or demonstrations to help me stay on track.

Other comments on my observation sheets outlined my ability to keep the client motivated even

in the final stages of a difficult test and encourage them to try their hardest. One of the comments

I am most proud of was during a jog test where the polar heart monitor stopped working in the

middle of the test. Instead of scrambling and possibly skewing the results, I quickly switched to

manual heart rate measurements, as no other electronic option was nearby. Not only was I

confident in the measurements I took, I felt as if I was able to keep my client calm and safe

during an unexpected change in protocol.

The most difficult part of the YMCA Bike Test is making sure the measurements for

heart rate, blood pressure, and RPE are taken on time. There are so many variables to be aware

of during this test, and being that they all are measured so quickly after the other, that it is

extremely easy to get off schedule This will not cause the entire test to be incorrect, but it can

slightly skew the results and cause a more chaotic protocol. To overcome this, I practiced

administering this test without an observer a few times until I was comfortable with the timing.

Once I completed my first real test while keeping up with the measurements, I began to focus on

the other parts of the test a little bit more, such as monitoring the metronome and interpreting

what the measured values actually meant in my head. The YMCA Bike Test was definitely the

hardest test to administer in this lab, however with practice, I am confident in the protocol.