Chapter 4 - Improving Cardiovascular Fitness

_____________________________________________________________________

Tests That Measure Cardiovascular Fitness

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The most valid method used to determine your cardiovascular fitness is Maximum Oxygen
Consumption (MOC). Maximum oxygen consumption is an exercise test that assesses the capacity of the
circulatory system to transport oxygen. In short, the Maximum oxygen consumption measures your
VO2max. That is, the greatest volume of oxygen that you can consume at once before you collapse.
However, this method is impractical for
use by the general public because it
requires expensive equipment, trained
administrators and considerable time.
Because of these limitations, several
efforts have been made to develop a field
test that would correlate highly with
maximum oxygen consumption. To date,
the 12 Minute Run-Walk Test developed
by Kenneth Cooper is one of the best field
tests used to measure cardiovascular
endurance because of its high correlation
(.94) with the MOC test. This is the test
we will focus on because it is practical
and easily administrated.
It might be noted that there are
other clinical tests such as the Ohio State Step Test, the Modified Ohio State Step Test and the Harvard
Step Test, which can be used to measure cardiovascular fitness. However, as with maximum oxygen
consumption tests, these tests require a special laboratory setting. Incidentally, the Harvard Step Test,
which was used extensively during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s to measure the cardiovascular fitness of
college students, is a poor measure of cardiovascular endurance…so much for those brainy people at
Harvard. In fact, the Harvard Step test correlates about .67 with MOC. That’s not good…actually it’s
terrible. You would need a correlation of at least .90 to use the test interchangeably. The modified Ohio
State Step Test correlates the highest (.96) with the MOC, but as indicated, it requires too much equipment
to be of practical use for the general public. That leaves us with the 12 Minute Run-Walk Test.

- The 12 Minute Run-Walk Test

The twelve minute run walk test consists of running and/or walking as great a distance as you can
in a twelve minute period. The test is usually administered on a 440 yard track. However, it can be
administered on any level field that has been measured for distance or a treadmill. For use of the treadmill,
you will just have to do some fancy math to convert your mileage to the number of laps completed. Your
score is the total number of laps covered in the twelve minutes. Researchers who developed this test
develop norms for various levels of fitness. So, depending on what your heart rate or performance time is
for the test, you can compare your fitness level with thousands of others who have also taken the test.
Norms published by Cooper (1968) for the test are presented in Table 1.

TABLE I
Category Sex 13-19 Years 20-29 Years 30-39 Years 40-49 Years 50-59 Years
less than 5.6 less than 5.3 less than 5.2 less than 5.0
Poor Male less than 4.7 laps
laps laps laps laps
less than 4.7 less than 4.5 less than 4.2 less than 3.9
Poor Female less than 3.5 laps
laps laps laps laps
5.3 to just
5.6 to just less 5.2 to just less 5.0 to just less 4.7 to just less
Fair Male less than 6.0
than 6.2 laps than 5.8 laps than 5.6 laps than 5.2 laps
laps
Fair Female 4.7 to just less 4.5 to just 4.2 to just less 3.9 to just less 3.5 to just less
 Chapter 4 - Improving Cardiovascular Fitness
_____________________________________________________________________

than 5.2 laps less than 4.9 than 4.7 laps than 4.5 laps than 4.2 laps
laps
6.0 to just
6.2 to just less 5.8 to just less 5.6 to just less 5.2 to just less
Good Male less than 6.6
than 6.9 laps than 6.3 laps than 6.2 laps than 5.8 laps
laps
4.9 to just
5.2 to just less 4.7 to just less 4.5 to just less 4.2 to just less
Good Female less than 5.4
than 5.7 laps than 5.2 laps than 5.0 laps than 4.8 laps
laps
6.9 or more 6.6 or more 6.3 or more 6.2 or more
Excellent Male 5.8 or more laps
laps laps laps laps
5.7 or more 5.4 or more 5.2 or more 5.0 or more
Excellent Female 4.8 or more laps
laps laps laps laps

As previously mentioned, this test is not only highly reliable (individual's scores are consistent
when retested), it is more importantly, a valid indicator of cardiovascular fitness. Validity means that it is
actually measuring cardiovascular fitness when it says that it does (unlike the guys at Harvard). There are,
however, several drawbacks to this test. Some individuals do not have sufficient motivation to put forth the
strenuous effort required to complete the test. In addition, there is a danger of cardiorespiratory
complications…especially in individuals who are not accustomed to intense exercise.

- The 600 Yard Run-Walk Test

The 600 Yard Run-Walk Test was field test devised in 1956 by the American Association of
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Council on Fitness. Currently, the test
is being used in many schools in the United States as a measure of cardiovascular fitness. Research has
indicated that the 600 yard run-walk test is a valid measure for very young children. For older children and
adults, unfortunately, research has yielded low correlations between this test and tests of maximum oxygen
consumption. The 600 yard run-walk test, in contrast to the more valid 12 minute run-walk test, does not
require enough activity to sufficiently tax the cardiovascular system of older individuals. Consequently, the
test is not a valid indicator of fitness for adults.

Training for Cardiovascular Fitness

The Cardiovascular Training Sensitivity Zone

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Once you have evaluated your cardiovascular fitness, the next step is to develop more of it…that
makes sense…right? An individual will show cardiovascular improvement (training effect) only if his heart
rate is elevated to the proper level and maintained at that level for an adequate period of time. The training
sensitivity zone refers to the range of heart rates that, if maintained, would result in cardiovascular
benefits. The upper limit of the zone is the maximum heart rate of the individual (estimated to be 220
minus the individual’s age). Although different experts recommend slightly different values, 70% of
maximum heart rate is usually taken to be the lower limit of the zone. For example, if you were 20 years of
age, you would subtract your age (20) from 220 and then take 70% of that to ascertain the lower limit of
your training sensitivity zone (220-20=200x.70=140). This is the heart rate at which you would have to
exercise in order to get a minimum cardiovascular training effect. Here is more good news, we are being a
little bit vicious here, not only do you have to elevate your heart rate to at least the lowest limits of your
training sensitivity zone, but you have to keep it there for an extended period of time. Most researchers
suggest that approximately 10 to 15 minutes is necessary to get a training effect. In short, if you are 20
years old, you have to elevate your heart rate to 140 beats per minute and keep it there for approximately 10
to 15 minutes to get a training effect.
 Chapter 4 - Improving Cardiovascular Fitness
_____________________________________________________________________

You can engage in any activity you want to achieve your training heart rate. Such activities like
swimming, tennis, handball, bicycling, basketball, marathon sex, (see the possibilities are endless) Jane
Fonda aerobics, yes, even Richard Simmons aerobics can be used. As long as you elevate your heart rate
sufficiently and keep it in the training sensitivity zone long enough, you can get a training effect. Needless
to say, you should choose
activities that you enjoy.
They are generally
moving at a snail’s pace.
Very impressive! Sure,
they are burning energy
(calories), but as far as
cardiovascular training
goes, what they are doing
is absolutely worthless for
strengthening the heart.
Any activity can be used
to help you to maintain
your body weight, but not
all activities will develop
cardiovascular fitness.
Remember, you have to
get into that training
sensitivity zone and stay
there if you want to get a
cardiovascular training effect. It’s not easy. The old cliché, “No pain, no gain” certainly applies here. You
have to struggle and sweat a little if you want to get some development or improvement. It should be noted
that as with muscular strength and
∞ WELLNESS FOR LIFE ∞ endurance, you will need to adhere to both
__________________________________________________________________ the overload and progressive resistance
principles that we talked about in chapter
Heart Rate as a Measure of Cardiovascular Fitness. 3, when training for cardiovascular fitness.
We’ve already discussed heart rate in the discussion about In brief, in order to improve cardiovascular
cardiac output. So, you remember that the Heart rate is the fitness, the heart and muscles must be
number of times the heart beats per minute. Average normal overloaded or stressed beyond what they
heart rate is 60-80 beats per minute (bpm). Generally speaking, are normally
an athletic individual has a lower resting heart rate than an accustomed
untrained individual. You would think that a person with a lower to. Also, to
heart rate at rest would be in better shape than a person with a become
higher heart rate at rest. more and
Although some researchers have used resting heart rate
more
as an indicator of cardiovascular fitness, recent research has
indicated that resting heart rate is not a valid measure of physically
cardiovascular fitness. The major reason for this is that resting fit, you must
heart rate can be effected by so many variables. For instance, systematicall
stress, lack of sleep, or drinking a small coke or cup of coffee y increase
can significantly elevate your heart rate. Consequently, an the
individual who is in great cardiovascular shape may register a resistance of
high resting heart because of some other intervening variable. the
exercises.
Each higher
level of fitness requires a greater workload, meaning that, if you want to be great,
you have to continually push yourself.
Also, as indicated, these adaptations to workloads have to be developed
chronically, which means over time. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you
can adapt to a certain workload in a day or a in a week. Actually, for a person
who is completely untrained, they won’t see significant gains initially. However,
as they progress to higher and higher levels of fitness, adaptations will likely
 Chapter 4 - Improving Cardiovascular Fitness
_____________________________________________________________________

occur much more slowly, requiring weeks or months to acquire a new level of fitness. You must tax your
cardiorespiratory system in order to be receiving real fitness gains. You might compare these chronic
adaptations to that of a person who is learning a new skill for the first time. The “beginner” is likely to see huge
improvements in the beginning, but the performer will plateau at a given level of proficiency or attainment.
Subsequently, the body will resist any more changes unless the changes are sustained over time.
From a motivational standpoint, perhaps the most important aspect of all this is that you choose
activities that you enjoy and are likely to continue. Remember, if you don’t stick to it, the training effect
deteriorates rapidly. So, we’re going to suggest several different training methods that you might want to
experiment with.
Again, note that the best way to increase cardiovascular fitness is to engage in activities that are
high intensity for an extended period of time. The general rule is that in order to get a cardiovascular
training effect you have to elevate your heart rate to your training sensitivity zone and keep it there for ten
to fifteen minutes. Need we say that will make you sweet a little, if you are a woman of course you won’t
sweet, you will glisten…RIGHT!
All the exercise we are going to talk about here can be performed at low, medium or high levels of
intensity. It might be noted that you can perform any exercise you desire…swimming, rope jumping,
kickboxing, whatever…as long as you are getting a cardiovascular training effect. Of course, all exercise
will burn calories, but once again, you have to elevate your heart to your training sensitivity zone and keep
it there for 10 to 15 minutes if you want a cardiovascular training effect. In other words, it’s your
choice…you can either be Monique or Halle Berry. These are tough choices to make in life.