Elizabeth Brandenburg

BIO 270: Exercise Measurement and Limits

Biechler

2 March, 2016

Fitness Testing Lab Report

INTRODUCTION

Exercise is a very important part of everyday life for many people. There are

so many different ways to work out and be active. A persons fitness level is

dependent on the types of activities they engage in and can be broken up into four

different categories. Anaerobic fitness can be described as very high intensity or at

a maximum level of exertion. Examples of this include sprinting and weight lifting.

The opposite of anaerobic fitness is aerobic fitness. This is the ability to transport

and utilize oxygen. It can be measured by Vo2max which is the maximal amount of

oxygen you can use during intense exercise. Another way to categorize a persons

fitness level is through their muscular strength. This is the maximum force produced

in a single exercise bout. Lastly, muscular endurance is the submaximal force

produced over many reps and is yet another way to test a component of an

individuals fitness level. All these tests are important because it helps keep track of

a persons overall fitness level. Measuring these variables also helps keep track of a

persons progress throughout their training programs. Overall, these things are

measured to determine a persons overall level of cardiovascular fitness. The

purpose of this experiment was to determine the students levels of anaerobic and

aerobic endurance as well as their muscular strength and endurance. This data was
then compared to the overall norms in the United States for the students age and

gender. It was hypothesized that my level of anaerobic fitness was better than the

average person, but my aerobic fitness level will be lower than the average person.

METHODS

Anaerobic Tests

40 yard dash: After completing a warm up, the subjects will line up at the

start line. Timers will stand at the 40 yard mark and start their watches at the

subjects first movement. The goal of this test is to cover the 40 yards as

quickly as possible then decelerate after he/she crosses the finish line. The

timers should stop their watch when the subject passes the 40 yard mark.

Record the time achieved nearest to the hundredth of a second. The subjects

will rest for three to five minutes, and then repeat the sprint a second time.
Vertical jump: The subject should stand and reach his/her hand up to

measure the reach height. The lowest vayne is set to the subjects reach

height. The subjects feet should be shoulder width apart and should remain

in this position for the duration of the test. The subject should then dip down,

swing arms, and jump as high as possible. They should land with bent knees.

The jump height is measured according to how many vaynes are hit (they are

a half inch apart). The subjects are to complete three trials and record the

highest height.
300 yd shuttle: To set up this test, two cones are placed 50 yards apart

(45.7m) apart on a flat surface. After a thorough warm-up, the subjects will

run down and back three times to complete 300 yards as quickly as possible.

One person will stand at the finish line to time and make sure the subject

reaches the line. Another student will stand at the opposing cone to make
 sure the subject is reaching the line on the opposing side. Subjects will

complete one trial and record their time.

Muscular Strength

1RM: The subject is to complete a warm up set at a light-moderate load of 10

repetitions. The next set should be at 70% (5 repetitions), then another set at

80% (3 repetitions). Then, the subjects completes 1 repetition at 90%. The

subject should then complete up to 3 attempts at maximal to determine their

1RM.

Muscular Endurance

Push-up test: women are allowed to use the modified knee push-up for this

test if it is necessary. Subjects perform the push-up until their chin comes in

contact with the mat (stomach should not touch the ground). The subjects

back must be straight at all times. The goal of this test is to complete a

maximal number of push-ups consecutively without rest. The test is stopped

when the subject fails to maintain the appropriate technique.

Curl-up test: To set up for this test, two strips of masking tape are placed on a

mat 12 cm apart. Subjects lie in the supine position across the tape, knees

bent at 90 degrees with feet on the floor and arms extended to their sides

(fingertips should touch nearest strip). This is the down position. Top position

is achieved when the subjects flex their spines 30 degrees, reaching their

hands forward until the fingers touch the second strip. A metronome should

be set to 40 beats/min. The subject should begin the curl-up and reach the

top position on the first beat; the subject should return to the starting
 position on the second beep. This continues throughout the test. Repetitions

are counted each time the subject reaches the bottom position.

Aerobic Tests

3 minute step test: Subjects are paired up with another student. Before the

test begins, the subject should sit on the bench step and rest for three

minutes, after which the tester should palpate the radial pulse for 15 seconds

and record resting HR. Set a metronome for 88 beats/min for women and 96

beats/min for males. When the subject is ready, begin the stopwatch for a 3

minute test. Subjects may switch the leading leg as needed during the test.

Immediately following the test, the subject should sit on their step. The tester

has 5 seconds to find the pulse. The tester should then count the pulse for a

total of 15 seconds. The Vo2 max can then be calculated using the following

equations:
o Men: Vo2max (mls/kg/min) = 111.33 (0.42* Recovery HR)
o Women: Vo2max (mls/kg/min) = 65.81 (0.1847 * Recovery HR)
Cooper 12 minute walk/run: The objective of this test is to cover as much

distance as possible in the allotted 12 minutes. After completing a five

minute warm-up, the subject should begin the test. A stopwatch should be

started at the same time the test is initiated. It is important to provide

encouragement to those undertaking the test. Make periodic time checks

with the subject and record the distance covered at the completion of the 12

minutes. Allow adequate time for a cool down, consisting of at least 5

minutes of slow walking and stretching. Calculate Vo2 max based off of how

much distance the subject covered.

RESULTS
 Time/Distance/Reps/ Estimated Vo2max Ranking

HR
40 yd dash 5.425 seconds 75th percentile

Vertical Jump 22 inches (55.88 cm) Very good

300 yd Shuttle 52 seconds Very good

1RM Squat 220 lbs Average

Push-ups 30 Excellent

Curl-Ups 75 Well above average

3 Minute Step Resting HR: 68 bpm 36.99 mls/kg/min 45-50th percentile, fair

Test Recovery HR: 156

bpm
Cooper 12 mile 21.1409 mls/kg/min <1%, very poor

Minute Walk/Run

DISCUSSION

Compared to the standardized norms, I was all over the place with my results.

For some of the tests I scored fairly well compared to other people in my age group

and gender (40 yd dash, vertical jump, 300 yard shuttle, push-ups, curl-ups). All of

the tests that I was ranked highly in were tests that measured anaerobic fitness,

muscular strength, or muscular endurance. The tests that I did not do so well in

were the ones that were more aerobic in nature (3 minute step test and Cooper 12

min walk/run). Originally I hypothesized that I would perform better on the

anaerobic and muscular strength testing than I would on the aerobic tests. This

hypothesis was correct overall. However, there were definitely a couple sources of

error while performing these tests. One major discrepancy is that some of the
results were estimated off of previous tests because I was unable to perform the

tests due to other factors. Another discrepancy was due to me not going 100% on

the Cooper 12 minute run. Since I walked instead of run, my Vo2 estimate was not

even on the charts. Other than these two things, I feel like the tests accurately

described my fitness level.

There are many physiological explanations for the results. It revolves mainly

around the energy systems used during each of the tests. For the aerobic capacity

tests, the oxidative is the main system used for energy and relies on fats. Anaerobic

glycolysis is used during the anaerobic capacity and muscular endurance tests. For

anaerobic power and muscular strength tests, the ATP-PCr system is used and relies

solely on carbohydrates. Being a somewhat trained power/speed athlete, it is no

surprise that I performed better in the tests that were done at a higher intensity but

were much shorter in duration. The tests that are at a higher intensity and shorter

in duration use the energy system that produces a larger amount of energy but only

lasts a short time (ATP-PCr). However, the tests that are longer in duration but do

not require a maximal amount of power utilize the energy system that produces a

lower amount of energy but lasts a very long time (oxidative). It is important to test

all of these tests because it gives the subject a good idea of their overall fitness

level. Based on my rankings in each test, it is safe to say that my anaerobic fitness

level is much better than my aerobic fitness level. This is due to the fact that I

primarily train the energy systems that are used at a high intensity over a short

period of time. If I were someone who trains using the glycolytic and oxidative

system, I would have performed better on the tests that required those energy

systems.
 From a physiological standpoint, the main factor that limited my ability to

perform better in the aerobic tests was my inability to utilize oxygen efficiently

enough. Since I do not train that system, it is harder for my body to get enough

oxygen to the muscles that need it. My body could not produce enough oxygen in

comparison to the amount of carbon dioxide being produced. This means that the

muscles do not get enough oxygen delivered to them; the cell then cannot produce

enough energy in order to keep performing at a maximal level. It is also believed

that there are limitations surrounding the other end of the process: the cells cannot

process the oxygen as it needs to (Boushel et al., 2014). Also, gender could play a

role because women do not have as much hemoglobin in their blood. This means

that less oxygen can get to the muscles to produce ATP (Cureton et al., 1984).

These limitations were seen in my inability to perform well on the aerobic fitness

tests.

The aerobic tests were somewhat limited by my psychological state. Going

into the Cooper 12 minute walk/run I knew I was not going to be putting in 100% of

my effort. Factors contributing to this decision was the fact that I had a meet

coming up and did not want to be sore. Also, I have been dealing with injuries that

definitely would have flared up if I gave it my all. If I were to run the test the way it

was supposed to be executed, I still would have been limited psychologically

because I know that endurance and aerobic fitness is not my strong suit. You are

more likely to have a negative experience if you go into a situation with

preconceived negative attitudes and feelings towards that given situation. In order

to improve this, I could try improving my aerobic endurance level so I would be

more confident going into tests like these. One technique used in a study done by

Loizou and Karageorghis showed that if you watch film of peak performances, you
are more likely to improve and have a better outcome physically and

psychologically. This study goes into detail about anaerobic exercise performance,

but can still be applied to aerobic performance as well. If you are able to see

yourself performing well in a previous situation, your confidence level increases and

are more likely to have a positive outcome and not be affected by the negative

feelings associated with not training in a particular situation (Loizou & Karageorghis,

2015).

DIRECTIVE QUESTION

It is no surprise that there are major differences between elite sprinters and

the average person. They are able to train harder and at a higher intensity than

most people. Physiologically, there are many possible factors that contribute to their

success. There are also many things that can be responsible for their success. One

of the major differences between the average athlete and elite sprinters is their

ability to assess their mechanics. In a study done by Rabita et al., kinetics were

observed during a virtual 40 m sprint. The steps were calculated and researchers

did video analysis. This study helped to better understand the mechanics of the

sprint acceleration as well as observing the relationship between the forward

velocity and the main mechanical key variables of the spring. These findings are

especially helpful to world-class sprinters because it gave new insights into the

limits of human locomotion (Rabita et al., 2015). These opportunities are not

available to the normal person, and can potentially give people an advantage to

know how their body responds biomechanically to training and the effects on their

body. Another thing that separates elite sprinters from the average person is the

ability to withstand the impact of force with the ground needed to produce the

necessary speed (Maron, 2016). They are required to have more muscular strength
as well as endurance to be able to handle the force it takes to move their bodies

forward. Partially due to training and partially due to genetics, elite sprinters are

overall stronger than the normal person. Another thing that separates elite sprinters

from the average sprinter is their ability to recover. There is compelling evidence

that post exercise heart rate recovery is a valid indicator of sympaticovagal balance

used in prescription and monitoring of athletic training (Suzic Lazic et al., 2017).

Elite athletes have the ability to recover at a quicker rate than the normal person

which helps them train for a longer duration at a higher intensity. Once again, this

could be due to training because the better trainer you are, the quicker you recover.

However, this study showed significant differences in heart rate recovery in elite

athletes. Overall, there are many things that separate elite sprinters from the

average person. Some differences can be due to training; others are seen

biomechanically.

Resources

Rabita, G., Dorel, S., Slawinski, J., Sez-de-Villarreal, E., Couturier, A., Samozino, P., &

Morin, J. (2015). Sprint mechanics in world-class athletes: a new insight into

the limits of human locomotion. Scandinavian Journal Of Medicine & Science

In Sports, 25(5), 583-594. doi:10.1111/sms.12389

Maron, D. F. (2016). The Secret to Speed. Scientific American, 315(2), 50-55.

doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0816-50

Boushel, R., Ara, I., Gnaiger, E., Helge, J. W., Gonzlez-Alonso, J., Munck-Andersen,

T., & ... Calbet, J. L. (2014). Low-intensity training increases peak arm VO2 by
 enhancing both convective and diffusive O2 delivery. Acta

Physiologica,211(1), 122-134. doi:10.1111/apha.12258

Abstract: Aim It is an ongoing discussion the extent to which oxygen delivery and

oxygen extraction contribute to an increased muscle oxygen uptake during

dynamic exercise. It has been proposed that local muscle factors including

the capillary bed and mitochondrial oxidative capacity play a large role in

prolonged low-intensity training of a small muscle group when the cardiac

output capacity is not directly limiting. The purpose of this study was to

investigate the relative roles of circulatory and muscle metabolic mechanisms

by which prolonged low-intensity exercise training alters regional muscle

VO2. Methods In nine healthy volunteers (seven males, twofemales),

haemodynamic and metabolic responses to incremental arm cycling were

measured by the Fick method and biopsy of the deltoid and triceps muscles

before and after 42 days of skiing for 6 h day1 at 60% maxheart rate.

Results Peak pulmonary VO2 during arm crank was unchanged after training

(2.38 0.19 vs. 2.18 0.2 L min1 pre-training) yet arm VO2 (1.04 0.08

vs. 0.83 0.1 L min1, P < 0.05) and power output (137 9 vs. 114 10

Watts) were increased along with a higher arm blood flow (7.9 0.5 vs. 6.8

0.6 L min1, P < 0.05) and expanded muscle capillary volume (76 7 vs. 62

4 mL, P < 0.05). Muscle O2 diffusion capacity (16.2 1 vs. 12.5 0.9 mL

min1 mHg1, P < 0.05) and O2 extraction (68 1 vs. 62 1%, P < 0.05)

were enhanced at a similar mean capillary transit time (569 43 vs. 564

31 ms) and P50 (35.8 0.7 vs. 35 0.8), whereas mitochondrial O2 flux

capacity was unchanged (147 6 mL kg min1 vs. 146 8 mL kg min1).

Conclusion The mechanisms underlying the increase in peak arm VO2 with
 prolonged low-intensity training in previously untrained subjects are an

increased convective O2 delivery specifically to the muscles of the arm

combined with a larger capillary-muscle surface area that enhance diffusional

O2 conductance, with no apparent role of mitochondrial respiratory capacity.

[ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cureton k., Bishop P., Hutchinson P., Newland H., Vickery S., Zwiren L. (1984). Sex

Difference in Maximal Oxygen Uptake. Journal of Applied Physiology. 54: 656-

60.

Abstract: Ten men and 11 women were studied to determine the effect of

experimentally equating haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) on the sex

difference in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). VO2max was measured on a

cycle ergometer using a continuous, load-incremented protocol. The men

were studied under two conditions: 1) with normal [Hb] (153 g X L-1) and 2)

two days following withdrawal of blood, which reduced their mean [Hb] to

exactly equal the mean of the women (134 g X L-1). Prior to blood

withdrawal, VO2max expressed in L X min-1 and relative to body weight and

ride time on the cycle ergometer test were greater (p less than .01) in men

by 1.11 L X min-1 (47%), 4.8 ml X kg-1 min-1 (11.5%) and 5.9 min (67%),

respectively, whereas VO2max expressed relative to fat-free weight (FFW)

was not significantly different. Equalizing [Hb] reduced (p less than .01) the

mean VO2max of the men by 0.26 L X min-1 (7.5%), 3.2 ml X kg-1 min-1

(6.9%) or 4.1 ml X kg FFW-1 min-1 (7.7%), and ride time by 0.7 min (4.8%).

Equalizing [Hb] reduced the sex difference for VO2max less than predicted

from proportional changes in the oxygen content of the arterial blood and

arteriovenous oxygen content difference during maximal exercise. It was

 concluded that the sex difference in [Hb] accounts for a significant, but

relatively small portion of the sex difference in VO2max (L X min-1). Other

factors such as the dimensions of the oxygen transport system and

musculature are of greater importance.

Loizou, G., & Karageorghis, C. I. (2015). Effects of psychological priming, video, and

music on anaerobic exercise performance. Scandinavian Journal Of Medicine

& Science In Sports, 25(6), 909-920. doi:10.1111/sms.12391

Abstract: Peak performance videos accompanied by music can help athletes to

optimize their pre-competition mindset and are often used.

Priming techniques can be incorporated into such videos to influence

athletes' motivational state. There has been limited empirical work

investigating the combined effects of such stimuli on anaerobic performance.

The present study examined the psychological and psychophysiological

effects of video, music, and priming when used as a pre-performance

intervention for an anaerobic endurance task. Psychological measures

included the main axes of the circumplex model of affect and liking scores

taken pre-task, and the Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory, which was

administered post-task. Physiological measures comprised heart rate

variability and heart rate recorded pre-task. Fifteen males (age = 26.3 2.8

years) were exposed to four conditions prior to performing the Wingate

Anaerobic Test: music-only, video and music, video with music and

motivational primes, and a no-video/no-music control. Results indicate that

the combined video, music, and primes condition was the most effective in

terms of influencing participants' pre-task affect and subsequent anaerobic

performance; this was followed by the music-only condition. The findings

indicate the utility of such stimuli as a pre-performance technique to enhance

athletes' or exercisers' psychological states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR