| Protocol | Population | Mode | Equation | r | SEE | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balke | Active & sedentary men |
Treadmill walk |
VO2 max = 1.444 (T) + 14.99 | 0.92 | ±2.5 ml/kg x min. | Pollock et al., 1976 |
| Speed 3.3 mph; 0% grade 1st minute, 2% increase at start of minute 2, elevation increases 1% each minute thereafter | ||||||
| Balke, modified for women | Active & sedentary women |
Treadmill walk |
VO2 max = 1.38 (T) + 5.22 | 0.94 | ±2.20 ml/kg x min. | Pollock et al., 1982 |
| Speed 3.0 mph; 0% grade for 3 minutes, elevation increase 2.5% every 3 minutes thereafter | ||||||
| Bruce | Active & sedentary men; male cardiac patients |
Treadmill walk to run |
VO2 max = 14.76 - 1.379 (T) + 0.451 (T^2) - 0.012 (T^3) | 0.98 | ±3.35 ml/kg x min. | Foster et al., 1984 |
| VO2 max = 13.3 - 0.03 (T) + 0.297 (T^2) - 0.0077 (T^2) + 4.2 (CHS) | ||||||
| Individuals who require hand rail support | VO2 max = 2.282 (T) + 8.545 | ±4.92 ml/kg x min. | McConnell & Clark 1987 | |||
| Bruce | Active & sedentary women |
Treadmill walk to run |
VO2 max = 4.38 (T) - 3.90 | 0.91 | ±2.7 ml/kg x min. | Pollock et al., 1982 |
Bruce Treadmill
| Stage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Speed (mph) | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.0 |
| Grade (%) | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 |
T = time to exhustion
CHS = Cardiac health status (healthy subject = 1, individuals with angina pectoris, past myocardial infarction, or myocardial revascularization surgery.
Of all treadmill tests performed in the United States, it has been estimated 71% use the Bruce protocol and 10% follow the Balke protocol (Pollock 1984).
