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Assignment#3: – Cardiorespiratory Fitness Assessment

Question: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 B TOTAL
Allotted
X/2 X/1 X/3 X/2 X/3 X/10 X/7 X/1 X/28
Mark:
Your Mark:

Please provide the most appropriate answer with the correct units. For all calculations, it
helps to show your intended equation and to show your work. For answers requiring decimal
places, please round to the nearest single decimal place for the final answer.

1. Ri’s resting VO2 is 2.8 mL/kg/min. What is the target VO 2 that you would use as an initial
work rate as she is a healthy, sedentary individual? [2 mark]

Target VO2: 4 METS for sedentary x 2.8 mL/kg/min

= 11.2 mL/kg/min

2. For the same client from question #1, what would be the target increase in VO 2 that you
would like to see per stage? Provide a range of values [1 mark]

Target VO2 increase range: 1-2 METS sedentary

3. You’ve been working with Tay, a 45 kg female, for 9 months. She currently cycles (6
METs) 3 days/week, for 30 minutes at 70% HRR and does a step aerobics class (8 METs)
1 time/week for 45 minutes at 65% HRR. Her initial maximal assessment was done using
a walking protocol on a treadmill and revealed that her resting VO 2 was 3.1 mL/kg/min
and her VO2max was 32 mL/kg/min. She is interested in seeing if her VO 2max has
increased as a result of her training.

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a. How many kcal is she expending per week based on her listed activities? [2
marks]

1 MET = 1kcal/kg Bw/hr 8 MET = kcal / 45kg/ 0.45hr

1x 162 Kcal = 8 x 45 x 0.75 / 1
6MET = kcal / 45kg/ 1.5hr/week session
405 Kcal = 6 x 45 x 1.5 270 kcal/week
405 kcal/week

Total: 405 + 270 = 675 kcal/week

b. What CRF assessment would you use to estimate her VO2max? [1 mark]

The CRF assessment I would use to estimate her VO2max would be through
submaximal exercise testing, the cycling ergometer test.

4. You are doing a progressive CRF assessment (2 MET increase per stage) on Bey to
estimate VO2max and you have the following information recorded while you are in the
middle of the test. Based on this information what would you do next and why? [2
marks]

Stage Work rate HR BP RPE

Rest data 0 kpm 72 118/72 6
1 150 kpm 115 111/75 11
2 300 kpm 122 109/73 12
3 450 kpm 121 107/74 13
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Based on the information above, I would instantly terminate the test and begin to
initiate cooldown and a much lower work rate. I would also continue to monitor their
heart rate and blood pressure. This is because the systolic blood pressure continues to
decrease when it is supposed to increase along with the diastolic blood pressure.
There is also no linear relationship between heart rate and work rate. The heart rate
decreases once the work rate increases to 450 kpm.
5. Briefly explain the theory behind how we can estimate cardiorespiratory fitness using a
submaximal test without taking metabolic cart breath measurements. [3 marks]

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We can estimate cardiorespiratory fitness using a submaximal test without taking

metabolic cart breath measurements by measuring heart rate and RPE every other
minute, including monitoring the blood pressure until the client approaches pre-
exercise cut-off values. Measuring the heart rate is almost equivalent to the breathing
rate as the heart rate increase, the breathing rate also increases. The reason behind
this is that as heart rate begins to increase, one can assume the body is obtaining
more oxygen as the muscles require energy to move. Based on heart rate response
using a submaximal test, there is little variation in the oxygen demand as it is a fixed
mechanical efficiency. Therefore, knowing the client’s maximal heart rate will allow us
to estimate their cardiorespiratory fitness using a submaximal test.

6. Kira is a 52-year-old female and weighs 63kg. She has a resting heart rate of 70 bpm. She
just completed a YMCA cycle ergometer submaximal test. Your partner, Brit, smudged
the data collection form, so you aren’t sure of the work rates. Her assessment data is
found in table 1 below. She has come to you because she is looking to add some cycling
to her current training regime. Her current training regime can be found in table 2. She
tells you that she wants to do a total of 5 cardio sessions in a week and she wants to do
all of her cardio training on separate days and wants to have at least one rest day per
week.

Table 1: YMCA cycle ergometer test data

Stage Work Rate (kg*m/min) Heart Rate (bpm)
Stage 1 150 88
Stage 2 ? 108
Stage 3 ? 123
Stage 4 ? 142
Stage 5 ? 150

a. Calculate age-predicted heart rate maximum (HRmax). Show your work. [1 mark]

Tanaka method: HRmax = 208 – (0.7 x age)

HRmax = 208 – (0.7 x 52)
= 171.6 bpm
≈ 172 bpm

b. From the data from the test above, what stages of the test can be used to estimate
VO2max? Explain why these stages can be used. [2 marks]

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Stages 3 and 4 of the YMCA table can be used to estimate VO2max as both the heart
rate cannot exceed the 85% threshold of predicted HR max: 146 bpm

c. Calculate her predicted VO2max. Show all your work. [6 marks]

Based on stage 1 of the YMCA table, Kira would have used protocol 2 from the YMCA
Submaximal Test.

HRmax = 172 bpm

HR1 (stage 3) = 123 bpm
HR2 (stage 4) = 142 bpm

VO21 = (1.8 x work rate)/ Body weight + 3.5 + 3.5

= (1.8 x 750 kgm)/ 63 kg + 3.5 + 3.5
= 28.43 mL/kg/min

VO22 = (1.8 x work rate)/ Body weight + 3.5 + 3.5

= (1.8 x 900 kgm) /63 kg + 3.5 + 3.5
= 32.71 mL/kg/min

Slope (b) = (VO22 – VO21) / (HR2 – HR1)

= (32.71mL/kg/min - 28.43 mL/kg/min) - (142 - 123)
= 4.28/19
= 0.225 mL/kg/beat

Predicted VO2max:
VO2max = VO22 + slope (HRmax - HR2)
= 32.71 mL/kg/min + 0.225ml/kg/beat (172bpm – 142 bpm)
= 39.46 mL/kg/min

d. Based on the ACSM reference data, what is the fitness status of Kira [1 mark].

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Kira is above the 95th percentile for her age group and is classified as superior.

7. Miles is a 53 yr old woman looking to get group fitness testing done for her pickleball
social club, which meets twice a week for competitive games. She has come to you
looking for resources so that she can administer the test herself after her club hours.
You task is to search for an age- and activity-appropriate field test that you can
recommend to Miles.
a. Identify a validate test using a scholarly search engine (e.g., Pubmed, Google
Scholar). Report the name of the test and the APA reference of the paper that
outlines the creation and validation of the field test. In addition, include a web
link to the article page online. [2 marks]

The chair sit-to-stand task (Ritchie et al., 2005).

Ritchie, Trost, S., Brown, W., & Armit, C. (2005). Reliability and validity of
physical fitness field tests for adults aged 55 to 70 years. Journal of Science
and Medicine in Sport, 8(1), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1440-
2440(05)80025-8

<https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/science/article/pii/
S1440244005800258>

b. Describe why this test is a good fit for this population. [2 marks]

This test is a good fit for this population as it is found to be both reliable and
vaild in assessing their muscular endurance and strength of the lower body
(Ritchie et al., 2005). This test is also inexpensive, space efficient, and can be
easily administered by oneself. It can also act as an exercise for this population
through repetitions of the sit-to-stand task in order to increase levels of
physical activity.

c. Describe what tools (e.g., heart rate monitor) and outcomes (e.g., blood
pressure) will be necessary for Miles to bring to her group for the testing day. [2
marks]

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A heart rate monitor along with a blood pressure will be necessary for Miles to
bring to her group for the testing day. Measuring the heart rate every other
minute is necessary to monitor in cases of medical attention. Having blood
pressure measured is also equally important in identifying any risks during the
task.

d. Briefly describe how fitness will be calculated from this test (e.g., report the
predictive equation and define all variables and units associated with the
equation). [1 mark]

The fitness can be calculated through the amount of sits and stands
repetitions from the chair sit-to-stand task, including the duration of the task
in relation to the recorded number of stands. The variables would be number
of stands, time to complete the task, and body mass. One’s energy
expenditure can also be calculated through the heart rate and blood pressure.