Vo2 Max Lab Report

Introduction In order to evaluate someone’s overall fitness level, finding a person's VO2max is a good determinant of fitness. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen a person is able to use during maximal exertion. VO2max can demonstrate ranges of fitness/health levels, and lower fitness levels can lead higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The most accurate way to test VO2max is by conducting a graded exercise test on a treadmill where an individual is set up on a metabolic machine. This test provides accurate results by analyzing the exhaled gases during the extent of the exercise. Although direct VO2max testing is precise, it is not feasible for the majority of the public. The availability of an individual to get access to this extremely

Each participant weighed themselves before the start of the test. To conduct the test, the participants stepped up onto a step and then stepped back down—both feet must make contact—to a metronome of 90 steps per minute for a total of 5 minutes. Females step onto a 33 mm step and males step onto a 40 cm step. At the end of the 5 minutes, the participants sat down for a 15 second rest and located their pulse along the radial artery, once the 15 seconds of rest was up the participants counted their pulse for 15 seconds. VO2max was predicted using established prediction tables. The 15 second pulse was plugged into the Forestry Non Adjusted Fitness Values tables (there is a male and female table) where participants used their pre-recorded weight and the pulse to converge onto a relative VO2max. This value was then used in the Age-adjusted Fitness Scores for the Forestry Step Test table (there is no separate male and female table) to find the individual's age adjusted VO2max. Finally, this age adjusted VO2max number was used in the Aerobic Fitness Categories in Men (M) and Women (W) for the Forestry Step Test table where the participant's age is used again in conjunction with the previous value to find what fitness category the individual is