Yesterday in the Human Performance Lab we did sub-maximal VO2 testing. This is a way of getting a good estimate of your VO2 max based on your heart rate, without doing extensive VO2 max tests with all the fancy tubes, computers and calibration equipment. Here is the protocol we used, which is an 8 minute procedure. You start out at a pace on the treadmill that can get your heart rate to at least 110 bpm (for me it was 4.2 mph). You need to keep this pace for 4 minutes and then check your heart rate, at which point it should be at least 110 bpm. (Note: If your heart rate is not pretty close to 110 bpm around the first two minutes, you should bump up the pace and start your 4 minutes over again.) After your first 4 minutes, increase the speed 1.0-1.5 mph from the speed you are at. Stay at this speed for 4 minutes and then take your heart rate again. Once you have those two data points, there is a series of calculations that are made to estimate your VO2 max based on your heart rate. If you are interested in knowing how to calculate this send me a message and I will send you more information. My results showed that my VO2 max was 39.59 ml/kg/min. So what does this mean, how does it compare? In comparison to the rest of the class, I was in the middle of the pack of the girls in the class. Based on some standard fitness classifications for women I was ranked a 5 out of 6, in the "excellent" group for VO2 max. Not too shabby!
I have really been enjoying this lab that I am taking for school. It is fun learning how to administer as well as being a subject for a variety of fitness tests. Have you ever taken a lab similar to this or had the opportunity to learn about fitness testing?
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