Module 2: Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Victoria Stock

SER 311 01

March 23, 2017

Dr. Larouere
 I. Background

Cardiorespiratory fitness is a great indication of how the bodys circulatory

system is functioning. Cardiorespiratory fitness is a measure of how well the body is

getting oxygen to the muscles in need while exercising. In order to meet the demands of

high intensity exercise, our muscles require oxygen. The heart is a muscleand it needs

to be exercised in order to maintain its healthy functions. When an individual is out of

shape and not used to exercising, the heart will have to work harder to pump out oxygen

rich blood to the muscles requiring oxygen.

It is important that we measure cardiorespiratory fitness to measure for

cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease can lead to a multitude of other problems,

like heart attacks, strokes, abnormal heart rates, and issues with the valves inside of the

heart.2 The greatest measurement of your cardiorespiratory fitness is through what is

called your VO2 max. Your VO2 max measures how well the heart and lungs are able to

give oxygen to the muscles. This information can indicate how well you are able to

function on a day-to-day basis as well. If you are a healthy and fit individual with great

cardiorespiratory fitness, chances are you have ease with your activities of daily living.
 II. Data

I am twenty-one years old, weigh 140 pounds, and I am five foot and six inches

tall. The frequency at which I work out at is four times a week, at a moderate to vigorous

intensity, ranging from forty minutes to an hour at a time usually. I do aerobic activity for

three days out of the week for forty minutes. I lift weights four days out of the week. My

VO2 max calculated by using the ACSM equation: VO2 = (0.2 x Speed) + (0.9 x Speed x

Grade) + 3.5 mL/kg/min. It is important to note that speed needs to be converted from

miles per hour to meters per minute. I ran at a speed of 5.0 miles per hour, therefore I ran

134.112 meters per minute. I also ran at a zero percent grade. My predicted VO2 max was

30.32.

Test Results
Treadmill Walk Test I took this test on February 23. My
predicted VO2 was 35.63. I feel like that is
on the low end of the spectrum. I believe
this is low because I am an athlete and I do
consider myself to be in decent shape. A
good VO2 max for women my age is
around 33.0-36.9 ml/kg/min.1

I did another walk test on March 2. My

predicted VO2 was a 30.86. Again, I feel
like this result was low. I consider myself
to be in good shape and would have
preferred a slightly higher result.

YMCA Bike Test I took this test on March 9. I had a

predicted VO2 of 31.58. I still feel like this
is on the low side, but I definitely feel like I
struggled on the bike.

I took this test on March 21. My predicted

VO2 was a 39.55. I feel that these results
were a lot better. I may have gotten used to
working on the bike, because I have been
 starting to bike often instead of running to
Test Results
YMCA Bike Test minimalize the impact on my knees.

I took another bike test on March 21. I had

a predicted VO2 of 39.53. I felt a lot more
confident in these results.
 III. Discussion of Results

VO2 max is how the body can utilize oxygen and efficiently get oxygen to the

muscles during intense exercise. The central components of your VO2 max include your

heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Your peripheral VO2 components are how the muscles

utilize oxygen.3 My results for my VO2 max varied greatly. Some were in the low thirties,

while others were in the upper thirties. My heart rate for the second walk test was

remarkably higher than it was for the first test, and I did happen to score lower. For my

YMCA bike tests, I had one low-test result and two of my highest. On the day where I

scored my highest VO2 max, my heart rate was higher than it had normally been. I asked

a fellow classmate for some possible explanations and we concluded that it might have

been due to the fact that I had just come from practice and had not eaten all day.

One source of error for VO2 max testing would be inaccurate heart rate

measurements. For example, if you do not wet down the polar heart rate monitor, you

might not get a reading or an inaccurately high one. This would skew results. Behavior is

also a potential source of error. If the subject had previously exercised before submaximal

testing, they may be tired out and unable to perform the tasks that they need to. This

could lead to a lower VO2 max reading. User error can also contribute. If the subject

cannot follow the metronome on the YMCA bike test, they may be cheating. If they go

slower it could lead to a higher VO2 max while if they were to pedal faster, it could lead

to a lower VO2 max. Finally, any outside sources of error may affect the subject. The

pressure to perform for someone, foreign noises, or the level of unfamiliarity with the

exercise may skew results. I personally liked the YMCA test the best. Though it was
difficult to administer the first couple times, it took a lot of information in and gave back

a lot of information as well.

 IV. Learning
I had a lot of technical issues with some of these tests. Some of the heart rate

monitors would give me difficulty with measurements. The finger pulse oximeter worked

perfectly before I started to test a classmate, and once I needed it during the exerciseit

couldnt pick up a pulse. After a little bit of scrambling, I had to just manually take the

pulse. My results turned out fine, but it was still a malfunction in my testing. There was

also a time where the polar heart rate monitor would not pick up on the bikes. I made sure

to wet it down and properly adjust it on my client, but for some reason the bike didnt

recognize it. I used the pulse oximeter instead. Other than that, I feel that I am getting a

lot more comfortable in being able to explain what is going on during a test to my client.

I dont feel shy or unsure and I feel comfortable answering questions asked by the clients.

The YMCA bike test was only overwhelming because there was so much to do in

a small window of time. The first test I performed was not organized and I felt rushed and

unsure of myself. It was a challenge hearing the blood pressure while exercising and

getting it in less than a minute to continue the test in a timely manner. The best way to

deal with the YMCA test is to just simply be prepared. After the first test, I knew that I

needed to have all the necessary tools within arms reach of me. I needed to sit down and

think about what I needed and double-checked that it was there before starting the test.

Practice really makes perfect for this test.

 Citations

1.Barder,Owen."VO2Max."RunningforFitness.(n.d.)Retrieved22Mar.2017

from<http://www.runningforfitness.org/faq/vo2max>.

2.Kaminsky,LeonardA.,RossArena,TheresaM.Beckie,PeterH.Brubaker,Timothy

S.Church,DanielE.Forman,BarryA.Franklin,MarthaGulati,CarlJ.Lavie,

JonathanMyers,MaheshJ.Patel,IleanaL.Pia,WilliamS.Weintraub,andMark

A.Williams."TheImportanceofCardiorespiratoryFitnessintheUnitedStates:

TheNeedforaNationalRegistry."Circulation.AmericanHeartAssociation,

Inc.,05Feb.2013.Web.22Mar.2017.

<http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/127/5/652>.

3.Kravitz,Len,Dr.,andLanceC.Dalleck,M.S."LimitingEnduranceExercise."

LimitingEnduranceExercise.UniversityofNewMexico,(n.d.)Retrieved22

Mar.2017.<https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/limitations.html>.