Julie Downs

SER 311 01 Testing and Prescriptions Lab

Module 2: Cardiovascular Fitness

March 12, 2019

Dr. Brian Larouere

Cardiorespiratory fitness can be defined as one’s capacity to complete exercises of

varying intensities for extended periods of time. In addition, it focuses on the body’s

ability to sustain its oxygen needs during exercise. Cardiorespiratory fitness is an

important piece of information needed to assess a person’s overall well-being. It is vital

to examine this because it is known that increased morbidity and mortality are directly

linked to low cardiorespiratory fitness. Furthermore, a higher level of cardiovascular

fitness corresponds with more constant physical activity weekly and all the health

benefits that are associated. Prevention and rehabilitation programs rely heavily on this

information to help patients improve their health and increase longevity.

II. Data

Personal Data

Name: Julie Downs Age: 21 Sex: Female Height: 65” Weight: 200 lbs.

Current aerobic exercise: complete elliptical workout 4 times per week for 1 hour, moderate
to vigorous intensity at about 170 bpm.
Name of Test Date of Test Score Interpretation of Score Confidence in accuracy of test result
Test (VO2max)
1-stage submax TM 2/14/19 42.44 70th percentile; classified as High: I gave close to maximum effort
jog test ml/kg/min good, above the average for age and was able to keep correct pace. HR
and sex was taken at appropriate times.
YMCA Bike Test 2/26/19 11.9 5th percentile; classified as very Low: I had run several tests this day
ml/kg/min poor, well below average for and did not give my best effort.
sex and age Unsure about HR accuracy from
administrator.
YMCA Bike Test 2/27/19 24.92 15th percentile; classified as Low: I had run several bike tests prior
ml/kg/min very poor, well below average to this and was unable to give
for sex and age maximum effort. Administrator did
not take timely measurements.
YMCA Bike Test 2/28/19 44.42 75th percentile; classified as High: This was the only test I ran so I
ml/kg/min good, slightly above the average was able to give maximum effort.
for age and sex Administrator was timely with
measurements and controlled
workloads appropriately.
YMCA Bike Test 2/28/19 36.21 50th percentile; classified as fair, Moderately low: I had some
ml/kg/min average for age and sex discomfort while biking so I was not
able to keep pace. Administrator was
not timely with measurements.
 Sources Used in Background and Data Table:
1. Acsm. (2017). Acsms guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (10th ed.).
Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

III. Discussion of test results

VO2max is the amount of oxygen consumed per unit of time. It is the product of cardiac

output and arterial-venous oxygen difference, making this highly related to the functional

capacity of the heart. The functioning of the central and peripheral components of the body can

limit VO2max. The central components such as the heart and lungs are used to take oxygen in

and transport it to active muscles. The peripheral components are to use this delivered oxygen for

ATP production and other processes vital to exercise. Without these components functioning

properly the body will be unable to fulfill the body’s oxygen and subsequently ATP needs.

The purposed of VO2max is to find the physiological limit represented by a plateau in the

final two workloads in an exercise test. However, this plateau does not always occur and even

more unlikely to appear in patients suffering from cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases.

As it is shown in my data table above my VO2max showed some variations among tests.

Many issues could have occurred, causing this to happen such as running multiple tests during

one session, eating prior to testing, and being more apt to a certain exercise. All of these could

have skewed my results, making them less accurate and precise to my true cardiorespiratory

fitness level.

Four assumption or sources of error regarding submaximal tests of cardiovascular fitness

may include; wrong exercise protocol, inaccurate heart rate measurements, accuracy of

submaximal tests, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Choosing the wrong exercise protocol

for an individual can lead to an error in VO2max because it may be too intense for them to

complete or they may have to rely on handrails or handles to maintain balance. Inaccurate heart
rate measurements are also a huge source of error. Obtaining an accurate reading is vital to

calculating VO2max. In addition, this measurement is highly influenced by many factors such as

temperature, caffeine, time since last meal, anxiety, smoking, and previous physical activity. All

of these variable should be controlled to ensure a valid estimate can be made about the

individual’s results. Another source of error would be the accuracy of submaximal exercise tests.

Compared to maximal testing, submaximal tests are not as precise due to the fact that many

calculations are estimations leading to errors in VO2max. Lastly, RPE can also lead to errors in

submaximal exercise testing. This is an important indicator to express one’s exercise tolerance

but it is largely reliant on many influences such as; mood, environment, exercise modes, ages,

and thirst. All of these variables should try to be controlled to attain an accurate measure.

In completing this lab, I gather personal data from both a single stage submaximal treadmill

jog test and several YMCA bike tests. I would choose the jog test to be more accurate in

assessing my cardiorespiratory fitness. I believe this because I am more apt to treadmill exercises

than biking. In addition, I was able to give a maximum effort during the test and my heart rate

measurements were taken at the appropriate times. With all these factors, I can stay with

confidence that the single stage submaximal treadmill jog test would be more accurate in

assessing my cardiovascular fitness.