Testing Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular endurance, or aerobic fitness, stamina, is the ability to exercise continuously for extended periods without tiring, and is an important component of many sporting activities. A person's aerobic fitness level is dependent upon the amount of oxygen which can be transported by the body to the working muscles, and the efficiency of the muscles to use that oxygen.
The criterion test for aerobic fitness is the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) test. As this test can be expensive and time consuming, many other simpler tests have been designed to predict a VO2max score. See our extensive list of aerobic endurance tests.
cross-country running raceThe many tests for aerobic fitness can be divided into either maximal or submaximal tests. Stressing the body by exercising to exhaustion, as in the maximal tests, is sometimes not appropriate, particularly for older, obese, young or the unfit. In these cases, the submaximal tests which are less demanding (and also usually less accurate) can be used.
Related Pages
- List of aerobic endurance tests
- Aerobic Test Videos
- Measuring Maximal Aerobic Speed
- A table of VO2max norm values is available
- VO2max test scores from different sports
- Fitness test records for the VO2max and Shuttle Run Test
- What are the highest ranking endurance sports?
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