SPECIAL COMMUV.-.

CATIONS

A Nomogram for Cdcdation of Aerobic Capacity

(Physical Fitness) From P&se Rate
Daring Stlbmaximal Work

P.-O. ASTRAND AND IRMA RYHMING. From the Department of Physiology,

Gymnastiska Centralinstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden

M ANY TIMES it is of interest to know the

individual’s capacity for muscular work,
e*g*, when selecting people for special
tasks in military service’or in industrial work, or
Wahlund (4) in his investigation of men of vari-
ous physical fitness (athletes, normal healthy men,
people with heart or respiratory troubles) found a
fairly constant mechanical efficiency when his sub-
when controlling the physical condition of athletes. jects were working on a bicycle ergometer. Thus
Furthermore, a reduction of this capacity is often the oxygen intake could be indirectly estimated
the first sign of a disease. from work load within a range of l tS% in two-
The individual’s capacity (or fitness) for heavy thirds of the cases. The results reported by Astrand
prolonged muscular work will first of all be de-
pendent on the supply of oxygen to the working pulse
rate
muscles. In types of work which engage large
groups of muscles the limiting factor for the maxi- 160-
ma1 oxygen intake (aerobic capacity) will probably
be the capacity and regulation of the oxygen-
transporting system.
A direct measurement of the maximal oxygen
intake can be made (I), but the method is intricate
and can only be applied in a well-equipped labora-
tory. Furthermore, maximal tests are not advisable
with older individuals or people with heart or
respiratory diseases. It would be of value to work
out a simple test method giving information about
the subject’s aerobic capacity. The work load used
for the test should be a submaximal one. With this
aim Ryhming (2) has suggested a step test. The
result of this and other investigations (see below)
will here be summarized in a nomogram for calcu-
lation of aerobic capacity. 3,O 40. 50 60 70
O2 Intake In per cent of the
When undertaking muscular activity of such maximum
severity that the demand for oxygen intake was
FIG. I. Relationship between pulse rate during
50% of the individual’s maximal oxygen intake, the work and actual oxygen intake in yO of subject’s
heart rate after about 6 minutes’ work for a group aerobic capacity. Left of ordinate, pulse rates of men;
of healthy male subjects averaged 128. The cor- right of ordinate, those of women. Thin lines denote
responding heart rate for female subjects was 138 the standard deviation. (Based on results obtained (I)
(I). When the subjects worked with a heavier on 16 female and 17 male subjects 20-30 years of age.)
load, thus demanding an oxygen intake of 70% of
their aerobic capacity, the average heart rate was (I) and Ryhming (2) obtained on healthy, well-
154 for males and 164 for females. The standard trained subjects (50 men and 62 women) show that
deviation (6) was 8-9 beats/min. These results are the oxygen intake during work could be calculated
illustrated in figure I. from work level within a range of &60/, in two-
Based on figure I the nomogram1 shown in figure thirds of the subjects. Identical values for mechani-
2 has been worked out. With information about the cal efficiency were obtained for men and women.
heart rate and oxygen intake during a submaximal These facts are illustrated in figure 3, giving the
work the subject’s aerobic capacity could be calcu- mechanical efficiency plotted against the work
lated. metabolism in percentages of the individually
Received for publication March 5, 1954. determined aerobic capacity.
1 A preliminary report was given by Astrand (3). According to Ryhming (2) a similar range of 6%
218
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September 1954 PHYSICAL FITNESS NOMOGRAM
219
body weight m. 8.
step tjst peqcent
"33 30 oxygen 28
work 3 I I I
crff’crd intake 18V81 24 .a 00 -
a 0
Oao 0 0 ~
0 0 0
9 8 1.0 T UJg 0 0.0 0' 88= 0
pulse
40; I/min : him/ l i l et l ; l
0 0" O00” * OS,,
3
0
0
rate
maximat’ t 1.1 20, l =6OOkgm/m(n 0 . 0 a-
d*l? oxygen I o-900 ---I II I I
170 d
intake 0

166-b O@
Q
0
0

162d4 72 20,
l . 900 kgwp in
0*1200 -=-
158.4 68
50 60 70 a0
154.4 61 qintake in per cent of the maximum

150*460
FIG. 3. Mechanical efficiency (m.e.) when cycling
related to work metabolism expressed in 70 of subject’s
116a.156 maximal 02 intake. Calculations are made from results
of previous investigations (I). Note a) the small dif-
142*-152
ference between the values of men (below) and women,
1384418 and b) the fairly small scattering of the individual
values (a = 5.9% for women and 4.6% for men).
13L~drS1
Energy was probably delivered aerobically even at the
130-440 higher rates of work.
126436 .-c CYCLE TEST
122q432

-428

a-l24

a-l20

FIG. 2. Nomogram for calculation of aerobic ca-

pacity from values of pulse rate and 02 intake during
a work test with submaximal rate of work (cycle test,
treadmill or step test). In experiments where 02 intake determined maximal d, intake l/min
is not determined it can be estimated by reading
4. Maximal
FIG. oxygen intake calculated from
horizontally from the ‘body weight’ scale (step test) or nomogram in relation to the direct determined max-
‘work level’ scale (cycle test) to the ‘02 intake’ scale.
imum. Calculation was made from the recorded figures
for pulse rate and oxygen intake during cycling. Broken
was found when the oxygen intake was calculated lines denote a deviation of &IO~~ from the ‘ideal’ line.
from the work done when the subjects performed a
modified step test (bench height was 40 cm for kg) corresponds to an oxygen intake of about 1.91
men, 33 cm for women; 22.5 steps were done per l/min. With a heart rate of 138 (for a female sub-
minute). Performed work was calculated from body ject 148) attained during the work, the calculated
weight, bench height and a constant mechanical ‘maximal oxygen intake’ of the subject should be
efficiency. 3.3 l/min.
Based on the findings in the experiments In figure 4 the ‘aerobic capacity’ calculated from
mentioned, scales have been included in the the nomogram is plotted against the actually
nomogram giving work levels (cycle test) and body determined ‘aerobic capacity.’ The figure includes
weights (step test). By reading horizontally from values obtained on 27 male and 3 I female well-
those scales to the scale with ‘02 intake’ a concep- trained subjects 20-30 years of age, whose maximal
tion of the actual energy output can be obtained. oxygen intake was determined in maximal tests on
E.g., work on the bicycle ergometer with a severity the treadmill or bicycle ergometer (I). The
of 800 kg m/min or a step test for a male subject nomogram is mainly based on these results. The
with a body weight of 62.0 kg (female subject 76.0 submaximal test was a cycle test (900 kg m/min

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220 P.-O. ASTRAND AND IRMA RYHMING Volume 7

for women, 1200 for men) where the O2 intake was tween the determined and the calculated maximal
determined. A statistical analysis of the values in 02 intake. For two-thirds of the cases the difference
figure 4 gives a mean difference of 0.023 ~fr 0.059 (standard d eviation) will be less than 6.7% for men
(females 0.010 =t 0.051) liters O2 per minute be- and 9.4% for women (table I). With a lower rate
of work, 600 and 900 kg m/min for women and
TABLE I. ERROR OF METHODS WHEN MAXIMAL 02 men respectively, the standard deviation was
INTAKEISCALCULATEDFROMNOMOGRAMAS COMPARED higher, 14.4a/~ for women and 10.40/~ for men.
WITH DIRECTLY DETERMINED MAXIMUM A second control of the validity of the nomogram
is given by figure 5. For 18 well-trained male sub-
Max. 02 Intake, jects, 18-19 years of age, the maximal O2 intake was
l/min.
No., Sex - Error, determined (5). Additional tests were done, such
From % as a step test on a ho-cm bench, frequency 22.5
Deter. nomo-
gram steps/min, and running on a treadmill set at an
angle of IO. The speed was IO km/hr. The values for
Cycling, 900 kg m/m&. 02 intake and heart rate during these submaximal
27, M 1 4.11 1 4.07 1 ~141 =t .083 0.43 10.4 tests were used for calculations of the subject’s
Cycling, IZOO kg m/min.”
aerobic capacity. The mean difference between the
22, M I 4.15 I 4.17 1 -23 * -59 0.28 6.7
Cycling, 600 kg m/min.
calculated and determined maximal O2 intake was
31, F I 2.87 I 3.00 I *I37 * -77 0.42
0.006 =t 0.066 l/min in the step test, and 0.020 h
14.4
Cycling, 900 kg m/min.* 0.058 l/min in the treadmill test. The standard
29, F I 2.91 2.92 .OIO It .og 0.27 9.4 deviation was less than 7yo (table I).
Step testt For 31 female and 28 male subjects 20-30 years
1% M 1 4.03 I 4.03 I .006 zt .066 0.28 6.8
Running, IO km/hr., I' uphill t
17, M 1 4.07 1 4-s 1 *020 0.23 54

Calc. Calc.
step cycle
test test
Cycling, 900 kg m/m&. and step test$
28, M I 4.09 1 4.12 I .025 =J= .057 0.30 7.3
Cycling, 600 kg m/min. and step test$
31, F 1 3.05 1 3.05 1 .003 & .052 0.29 9.5

* Fig. 4. t Fig. 5. $ Fig. 6

Two experiments are included where the maximum
was calculated from a step test or a cycle test. (d =
mean of difference, E;I = standard error of the mean of
differences, & = standard deviation of the individual
differences between variables.)
2 3 4 5
calculated maximal 0, intake l/min
CYCLE T&T
l running 10 km/hr FIG. 6. Relationship between maximal oxygen in-
take calculated from the results obtained from a step
test and those from a cycle test. For further details,
see text, fig. 4.

TABLE 2. BODY WEIGHT AND HEIGHT AND MAXIMAL o2

INTAKE (AEROBIC CAPACITY) 0~ HEALTHY, WELL-
TRAINED SUBJECTS 20-30 YEms om (I)

Maximal 02 Intake
No., Body Height, cm
Sex Weight, kg
l/min. ml/kg/min.

449 F 60.3 h 0.0 165.8 -f= 0.8 2.90 ZJZ0.04 48.4 =t 0.5
(48.9-7~7) (155.6-176.0) (2.40-3.40) (42.0-54.8)
42, M 70.4 & 1.0 176.7 h 1.0 4.11 =t 0.06 58.6 =t 0.7
determined maximal 0, intake y’min (58.0-82.8) (164.7-188.7) (3.37-4.85) (50.4-66.8)

FIG. 5. For text, see fig. 4. The tests were a step Values are means 3~2,; range, in parentheses, 2 X 6 = 95%
test and a treadmill test. range.

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September 1954 PHYSICAL FITNESS
of age, the maximal oxygen intake was calculated
from a) the heart rate and 02 intake when doing a
cycle test (600 and 900 kg m/min), and b) the
heart rate and 02 intake when doing the mentioned
step test (methods and subjects are described by
Ryhming, ref. 2). These two values for maximal
O2 intake were compared, and the mean difference
between the means was 0.003 rt 0.052 l/min for
the women and 0.025 =t 0.057 for the men. The
standard deviation was 9.5 and 7.3% respectively.
These results are illustrated by figure 6 and table I.
DISCUSSION
When testing circulatory-respiratory fitness, a
type of work must be chosen which engages large
groups of muscles and the work level must be rela-
tively high. The duration of work must be long
enough to permit the adjustment of circulation and
ventilation to the level of exercise. The above-
mentioned results are derived from a single work
test with the subject stepping up and down a
bench, cycling on a bicycle ergometer, or running
on a treadmill. The duration of work was 5-6
minutes and the determinations of oxygen intake,
etc., were done during the last minute. It was
found that a test with a submaximal work level
could give good information about the subject’s
aerobic capacity. The best results were obtained
when the test work was of such a severity that the
heart rate during steady state attained a level some-
where between 125 and 170. Within these limits
there is normally an almost linear increase in me-
tabolism with heart rate. For the examined subjects,
the maximal heart rate reached during exhausting
work was about 195 (6 = IO). This means that the
slope of a heart rate-oxygen intake curve is deter-
mined by the subject’s aerobic capacity. We do not
know whether there is a linear relationship between
the cardiac output and the oxygen intake, nor the
variations of stroke volume and arterio-venous 02
difference as the stress on the circulation increases
with heavier work load. Consequently, the physio-
logical explanation of the findings of a high correla-
tion between the heart rate when performing sub-
maximal work and the maximal oxygen intake is
far from obvious.
Table 2 gives values for maximal oxygen intake
(l/min and ml/kg/min) for healthy, well-trained
men and women. The maximal oxygen intake
probably varies with the muscular mass, and the
ratio of muscular mass to body weight should in
many instances be an important factor in deter-
mining the individual’s capacity for hard work.
Thus, the maximal oxygen per kilogram body
weight will give a good conception of physical
fitness. Athletes famous for their good results in
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NOMOGRAM 221
events calling for endurance, e.g., running and
skiiing, are characterized by a very high figure for
maximal oxygen intake/kg/min (I, 6, 7).
On the other hand, when testing a subject for a
job of a fixed demand for oxygen intake, e.g., in
industrial work, his aerobic capacity is decisive. It
is suggested that the metabolism during a job
involving large groups of muscles should not exceed
507~ of the individual’s aerobic capacity (I, 8).
It should be emphasized that the nomogram is
based on results from experiments with healthy
subjects 18-30 years of age. We do not know its
validity when testing younger or older people or
patients with diseases in the oxygen-transporting
system. Therefore, results obtained from tests
with those categories must be evaluated with
special criticism. Experience combined with further
research should decide upon the application of the
nomogram and interpretation of the results.
As stated above, in normal conditions the heart
rate during work is determined by the metabolism.
However, in a hot climate, when dehydrated, when
exposed to hypoxia, the subject will attain a higher
heart rate when performing work of a given in-
tensity as compared with normalcy. Applying the
nomogram would give a measure of the reduction
in his aerobic capacity induced by the extra load on
circulation.
SUMMARY
A nomogram is presented where an individual’s
maximal attainable oxygen intake (aerobic
capacity) can be calculated from heart rate and
oxygen intake (or work level) reached during a test
with a submaximal rate of work. As test work a step
test, treadmill test or cycle test can be chosen. It is
suggested that the individual’s aerobic capacity
per kilogram body weight per minute will give a
good measure of his physical fitness. Values for
healthy, well-trained men and women 20-30 years
Oi’ age are presented.
REFERENCES
I. ASTRAND, P.-O. Experimental Studies of Physical
Working Capacity in Relation to Sex and Age. Co-
penhagen: Munksgaard, 1952.
2. RYHMING, I. Arbeitsphysiologie 15: 235, 1953.
3- ASTRAND, P.-O. Meddelanden jr& Flyg-och Naval-
medicinska Ntimnden 4: 16, 1953.
40 WAHLUND, H. Acta med. scandinav. Suppl. 215, 1948.
50 ASTRAND, P.-O. Arbeitsphysiologie 15: 251, 1953.
6. ROBINSON, S., H. T. EDWARDS AND D. B. DILL.
Science 85: 409, 1937.
7* CHRISTENSEN, E. H. AND P. H~GBERG. Arbeits-
physiologie 14: 292, 1950.
8. CHRISTENSEN, E. H. In: Symposium on Fatigue,
(Ergonomics Research Society). London : Lewis,
1953, PP* 93-108.