Advantages
- Cycle ergometer is portable and less expensive
- Upper body movement is minimal
- easier to measure exercise heart rate and blood pressure
- More applicable for measuring cycling performance
Disadvantages
- Many people may not be accustomed to cycling
- muscular fatigue may occur prematurely
- fail to reach true maximum cardio output on max cycle test
- 10 - 15% underestimation of true VO2 max
- Blood pressure may be slightly greater compared to treadmill tests
- due to longer muscular contractions
- resulting in a relative intermittent vascular occlusions
- due to longer muscular contractions
- Accuracy is based on prediction of MHR
- MHR has a wide range of values at any age (figure 4.13)
- When using the formula (220-age) in estimating maximum heart rate:
- SEE ± 12 bpm for younger individuals
- SEE ± 15 bpm for older individuals
- Equipment must be well maintained & calibrated
- Running tests are more applicable for measuring running performance
Sample Format for Submax Test
- Interview Subject
- Ask subject:
- if they have been tested before
- medications and drugs: medications that affect heart rate will render test invalid
- musculoskeletal limitations and recent injuries
- present physical condition (cold, infections)
- time of last meal or snack
- Explain purpose of test:
- predicts cardiorespiratory fitness
- customize design of exercise prescriptions
- evaluate the effectiveness of exercise program
- monitors heart rate and blood pressure responses
- Explain procedures of test:
- Explain test only takes client just beyond 75% of predicted maximum heart rate
- Stop the test if you feel faint, dizzy, or short of breath
- they are free to stop test for ANY reason
- Subject's responsibility:
- ride at 50 rpm
- give tester a RPE when asked (1-10)
- keep going until about 75-85% of heart rate max (70% of heart rate reserve)
- Tester's responsibility:
- monitor blood pressure and heart rate responses during each 3 minute stage
- change the resistance on the bike in accordance to heart rate
- Cool down after test
- Ask subject:
- Pretest
- Write down 75% of max heart rate on test form
- Take weight
- Take height
- Resting blood pressure
- Resting heart rate
- Adjust seat height and record for future tests
- knee is almost straight (5°) in bottom stroke with ankle in neutral position
- consider subject may sink into seat within the first few minutes
- test results may be inaccurately low if seat is set too low
- pedaling position should be comfortable for subject
- knee is almost straight (5°) in bottom stroke with ankle in neutral position
- Set metronome at 50 bpm
- Subject practices pace during warm-up
- Test
- Record blood pressure, heart rate, RPE, and workload for each stage
- See Workload Guides
- Tension may slip on a mechanically braked cycle and may require attention between workloads
- See samples below
- Post test
- Cool down at work rate equivalent to first stage or lower
- tester continues to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, signs, and symptoms
- Plug numbers in computer or graph heart rates and calculate predicted functional capacity
- Stage A is second to last stage
- Stage B is last stage completed
- Both heart rate measurements must be between 110 bpm and 85% of the age predicted heart rate
- Place information in client file
- Cool down at work rate equivalent to first stage or lower
Sample I
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Sample II
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YMCA Cycle Test Calculator
Using the YMCA Cycle Test Calculator and Sample I above as an example:
- Stage 2 would be used as Stage A
- Stage 3 would be used as Stage B
Enter each stages respective workload and heart rate at end of each stage