What is it?
What are the contraindications?
What does it tell you about the individual being tested?
VO2max is the standard recognized measure of maximal oxygen consumption and overall level of cardiorespiratory fitness levels. Its measurement determines the maximal amount of oxygen that can be utilized at all out maximal intensity of exercise and determines the ability of that athlete’s cardiopulmonary system to perform sustained exercise durations (Ehrman, 2010).
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, absolute contraindication for testing VO2 max includes the following: EKG changes suggesting recent myocardial infarcation, severe ischemia or other significant cardiac events, unstable angina, uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmias causing symptoms, severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, symptomatic heart failure, pulmonary embolus or pulmonary infarcation, acute myocarditis or pericarditis, suspected or known dissecting aneurysm, and acute systemic infections (Ehrman, 2010). In addition to those aforementioned contraindications, general indications for stopping a VO2 max test once started in low risk individuals include: onset angina or angina like symptoms, drop in systolic blood pressure of >10mm HG from baseline blood pressure despite an increase in workload, excessive rise in blood pressure: systolic pressure >250mm HG or diastolic pressure >115mm HG, shortness of breath, wheezing, leg cramps, claudication, signs of poor perfusion (light headedness, confusion, ataxia , pallor, cyanosis, nausea, or cold and clammy skin), failure of heart rate to increase with increased exercise intensity, noticeable change in heart rhythm, subject requests to stop, physical or verbal manifestations of severe fatigue, and failure of the testing equipment (Powers & Howley, 2015).
Sources:
Ehrman, J.K. (Ed.). (2010). Exercise physiology & Cardiorespiratory and health-related physical fitness assessments. ACSM’s resource manual for guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (6th ed.) (pp. 46, 47, 58, 310). Baltimore, MD: American College of Sports Medicine.
Powers, S.K., & Howley, E. T. (2015). Bioenergetics & work tests to evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness. Exercise physiology: Theory and application to fitness and performance (9th ed.) (pp. 62, 63, 336). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
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