
One of the reasons is that biking tests are often limited by muscle fatigue. And differences can be big, with running VO2max typically being higher. If you do a bike test and a treadmill test, you’ll get two different results. While VO2max is the gold standard, and by definition is the only way to determine fitness level, the exercise protocol performed highly influences results. However, some limitations still apply: the test needs to be re-performed every time that fitness needs to be assessed, still a pre-defined protocol is required. determining the HR during specific activities, was a good step forward in terms of practical applicability, compared to maximal tests.

Basically, these tests rely on the inverse relation between fitness and HR, with higher HR typically associated to lower fitness level and viceversa. Submaxmial tests have been developed already more than 60 years ago to estimate VO2max during specific protocols while monitoring HR at predefined workloads.
CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE DEFINITION SPORT SERIES
There are a series of practical limitations to VO2max testing, for example the need for specialized personnel, expensive medical equipment, high motivational demands of the subject, health risks for subjects in non-optimal health conditions (which limits applicability), and so on. VO2max is regarded as the most precise method for determining fitness.
CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE DEFINITION SPORT FREE
I’d love to engage in a deeper conversation on the complexities of determining fitness level, so if you are interested as a user, coach, or expert in the field, feel free to drop me a line.Ĭurrent practice for fitness assessment is direct measurement of oxygen volume during maximal exercise, i.e. I was mainly motivated by the lack of services (methods, apps, or whatever) able to track my fitness level as I keep training and try to improve my personal bests.

I will also show some anecdotal evidence of the benefit of using the Fitness Index, based on my data. This post goes into the details of the limitations of current methods used to define fitness and how the Fitness Index overcomes some of these limitations. The indicator is called Fitness Index, and the app I developed around this concept is StayFit. I spent the last few weeks defining a new indicator of cardiovascular endurance and fitness, based on simple parameters that can be acquired with minimal effort using a mobile phone. Additionally, some of the research backing up the assumptions in this post have been recently published in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, you can find out more here. However, I am currently including the Fitness Index as an additional Insight in HRV4Training, please check out HRV4Training if you are interested in physiological data, training, recovery and fitness.

UPDATE: StayFit is not available on the Apple Store anymore.
