Fitness Testing

Queens College Step Test

purpose: this step test provides a measure of cardio-respiratory or endurance fitness (see also other step tests)
equipment required: 16.25 inches or 41.3 cm step, stopwatch, metronome or cadence tape, heart rate monitor (optional).
description: The athlete steps up and down on the platform at a rate of 22 steps per minute for females and at 24 steps per minute for males, for a total of 3 minutes. The athlete immediately stops on completion of the test, and the heart beats are counted for 15 seconds from 5-20 seconds of recovery.
scoring: an extimation of VO2max can be calculated from the test results, using the formula below:
- men: VO2max (ml/kg/min) = 111.33 - 0.42 x heart rate (bpm)
- women: VO2max (ml/kg/min) = 65.81 - 0.1847 x heart rate (bpm)

reliability: test re-test reliability for recovery heart rate has been measured as r = 0.92
validity: correlation between recovery heart rate and VO_2max has been measured as r = -0.75.

advantages: minimal equipment and costs involved, little time required, and can be self-administered.
disadvantages: Biomechanical characteristics vary between individuals (e.g. taller people are at an advantage). Also, appartently the data was formulated from treadmill running, therefore their assumption is that stepping and treadmill running have the same oxygen cost.
reference: W.D. McArdle et al. (1972) Reliability and interrelationships between maximal oxygen uptake, physical work capacity and step test scores in college women. Medicine and Science in Sports, Vol 4, p182-186.