Aerobic Exercise Lab Report

KIN 322: Physiology of Exercise

Asia Sockrider
Introduction:

Aerobic exercise, as defined by the American College of

Sports Medicine (ACSM), is any activity that uses large muscle

groups, can be maintained continuously and is rhythmic in nature

(Patel et al., 2017). Some common examples of aerobic exercise

include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing. Aerobic

exercise can be anywhere from low intensity to high intensity in

nature, but the cardiorespiratory system must supply oxygen to

the skeletal muscles during exercise in order to be considered

aerobic exercise (Patel et al., 2017). Cardiovascular disease

(CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States today

at 23.4% of all deaths (Nichols, 2017). Risk factors for CVD

include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, high percentage of body

fat, and insulin resistance (Fernstrom et al., 2017). Unhealthy

lifestyles, such as lack of physical activity or an unhealthy

diet increase the risk of CVD.

Knowing that these unhealthy lifestyles increase the risk

of CVD, it is important to meet the ACSM’s aerobic fitness

guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per

week in order to reduce the risk of CVD. Because of it’s

importance in an individual’s health, it is important to test

aerobic fitness to give people an idea of where their

cardiorespiratory health is, because it can be improved in order

to reduce the risks of CVD.

 There are many tests to measure aerobic fitness, but in

this experiment the McConnell protocol Vo2max as a maximal test,

and the Queens College 3-minute step test, as well as the Cooper

1.5 mile walk/run test will be implemented as a sub-maximal test

in measuring Vo2max. Vo2max represents the maximal amount of

oxygen that can be consumed and utilized, hence the efficiency

of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems (Kenney

et al., 2015). It is believed that the McConnell protocol Vo2

max will give the most accurate result as it is the only true

maximal effort test used in this study.

Methods:

The tests used to measure aerobic fitness in this study

were the McConnell Protocol Graded Treadmill Vo2max, the Cooper

1.5 mile walk/run, and the Queens College 3-minute step test.

McConnell Protocol Graded Treadmill Vo2max Test:

This test is a maximal test in order to find the subject’s

Vo2max by using a graded treadmill protocol in which the speed

of the treadmill increases steadily, then after a certain speed

is reached, the grade increases.

For this test a treadmill, CosMed metabolic cart, heart

rate monitor, stopwatch, RPE scale (1-10, 1 being easiest and 10

being maximal effort), and data sheet are all needed to perform

this test. The subject should be well rested, and in appropriate

clothing and shoes for exercise. The researcher should begin by

taking down the subject’s height, weight, age, and resting heart

rate. One researcher should monitor heart rate, rate of

perceived exertion, time, and Vo2 values. The subject will put

on a heart rate monitor as well as the mask to collect this

data, as well as resting heart rate, Vo2, and RPE.

Once resting data is collected, the subject can begin the

testing. The treadmill should be set so when the subject presses

start it will be at 4 mph for 1 minute, then will increase speed

by 1 mph and will go for 3 minutes. The treadmill will continue

to increase by 1 mph every 3 minutes until 9 mph is reached,

then will increase in 2% grade every 3 minutes. The researchers

should be collecting data during the last 30 seconds of each

stage.

The testing will end when the subject presses the stop

button on the treadmill, but they are instructed to go until

reaching volitional fatigue. Other reasons for stopping the test

include onset of angina, light-headedness, nausea, signs of poor

perfusion, or if the subject requests to stop. The criteria for

reaching Vo2max are a heart rate greater than 95% of the

subject’s age predicted maximum, an RER greater than 1.1, or if

RPE equals 10.

Cooper 1.5 mile Run/Walk Test:

This test is a submaximal test to find the subject’s Vo2max

by measuring how long it takes for the subject to travel 1.5

miles. For this test, you will need a measured distance, such as

a track or a treadmill, a stop watch, and a data sheet.

Before the testing begins the participants should be well

rested and dressed appropriately for aerobic exercise. The

subjects should complete a 5 minute aerobic warm up followed by

dynamic stretching. It should be made clear to the subjects that

the goal of this test is to travel the 1.5 miles as fast as you

can, whether that be walking or running.

The subject will begin the test and will walk/run 1.5

miles. The researcher will record how long it takes the subject

to complete the 1.5 miles. After the subject completes the 1.5

miles, they will cool down for 5-10 minutes by walking and

stretching.

Queens College 3-minute Step Test:

This test is a submaximal test to find the subject’s Vo2max

by measuring recovery heart rate. It is not a graded test, and

all subjects would step the same height for the same amount of

time.

For this test, researchers will need a step that is 16.25

inches high, a metronome, a stopwatch, and a data sheet to

record data and to complete equations. The subjects in this

study will be partnered up with a person of opposite gender, who

will record their heart rate at rest and 5 seconds post

exercise. The partner will also responsible for playing the

metronome and keeping track of the time of the test.

Before the testing starts the subjects of this study will

complete a five minute aerobic warm up, followed by dynamic

stretching together, completing the same warmup. The step for

this test should be measured at 16.25 inches high, then one of

the subjects should sit on the step for 3 minutes and rest, and

after the 3 minutes, the partner should palpate the radial pulse

for 15 seconds and record resting heart rate by taking the

number of beats per minute and multiplying that by four.

For the testing period, the partner of the subject doing

the testing should set a timer for 3 minutes and also play the

metronome that the subject will be stepping to. For females, the

metronome should be set at 88 bpm and at 96 bpm for males. The

subject should be instructed to step up and down, one foot at at

time to the beat of the metronome, making sure that both feet

are on the step before stepping back down, and both feet are on

the ground before stepping back up. The subjects may switch lead

legs if they would like.

After the 3 minutes are up, the subject should immediately

sit back down on the step, and allow the partner 5 second to

find their pulse again. After the partner finds the pulse, they

should count how many they count in 15 seconds, then multiply

that number by four, giving the subject their recovery heart

rate. The subject then will take their resting heart rate and

recovery heart rate and will plug them into the equation

provided on the data sheet, then take that number and find which

percentile rank they’re in, and their Vo2max classification.

Results:

First for the 3 minute Queens College Step Test the

subject’s resting heart rate before starting the test was 88 bpm

and was 128 bpm after the test. After calculating using the

Queens College Vo2 estimation, the subject’s Vo2max is 42.1684

mls/kg/min. Next for the Cooper 1.5 mile run test, the subject

ran 1.5 miles in 13.42 minutes. After calculating using the

Cooper 1.5 mile run Vo2 estimation, the subject’s Vo2max is

35.46478 mls/kg/min. Lastly for the McConnell protocol, the

subject’s recorded Vo2 max was 31.53 mls/kg/min, while their RER

was 1.07 their heart rate got up to 202 bpm.

The following equations were used to calculate Vo2max:

Cooper 1.5 mile Run/Walk Test-

 Men: Vo2max = 91.736 – (.1656 x _______) – (2.767 x ______)

Body mass (kg) time (min)

 Women: Vo2max= 88.02 – (.1656 x ______)- (2.767 x _______)

Body mass (kg) time (min)

 Subject: Vo2max= 88.02 – (.1656 x 88.45)- (2.767 x 13.70)

Body mass (kg) time (min)

Queens College 3-minute Step Test-

 Men: Vo2max (mls/kg/min) = 111.33 – (0.42* Recovery HR)

 Women: Vo2max (mls/kg/min) = 65.81 – (0.1847 * Recovery HR

 Subject: Vo2max (mls/kg/min) = 65.81 – (0.1847 * 128)

Discussion:

The subject’s Vo2 max varied quite a bit depending on the

test. On some tests, the subject was right around the “norm”,

and on another the subject was well below the “norm”.

The discrepancies in classification of Vo2 could be because

of a number of reasons between all of the test. For example,

with the Queens College Step Test, things that could be a source

of error could be the nutrition of the subject or if the subject

was well rested before the test. With the Cooper 1.5 mile

run/walk test, a huge source of error could be the subject’s

effort level towards the test. The testing day was cold and

rainy and many subject did not want to go outside to run in the

first place, so that could’ve impacted the results greatly.

Lastly, for the McConnell Protocol Vo2max test there could’ve

been many sources of error. For example, the mask fell off of

the subject, and she was not well rested as she played soccer in

another class for an hour and a half before the testing. Other

subjects were sick, and again factors such as effort level,

nutrition, rest, and hydration status all play a role in whether

the test provided a true and accurate Vo2max.

The subject’s Vo2 max varied quite a bit depending on the

test. Table 7.1 was used to determine the Vo2max

classifications. With the Queens College Step Test, the subject

was in between the 70-75 percentile, resulting in the Vo2max

classification of good. With the Cooper 1.5 mile walk/run, the

subject’s Vo2max was in the classification of fair, but with the

McConnell Vo2max, the subject’s Vo2 classification was poor.

When results are varied so much like in this subject’s case, it

is important to know which test provides the most accurate

results. “The accuracy for the peak performance models were

10.5% (SEE = 4.63 mL⋅kg-1⋅min-1) and 11.5% (SEE = 4.11 mL⋅kg-1⋅min-1)

for men and women, respectively, with 75% and 72% of the

variance explained. For the submaximal performance models

accuracy were 14.1% (SEE = 6.24 mL⋅kg-1⋅min-1) and 14.4% (SEE =

5.17 mL⋅kg-1⋅min-1) for men and women, respectively, with 55% and

56% of the variance explained” (Loe et al., 2016). Knowing this,

it can be inferred that the McConnell Protocol Vo2max test is

the most accurate test used in this study for finding Vo2max,

therefor the subject had a poor classification in comparison to

the “norm”.
 Factors that are important in determining Vo2max include

heredity, gender, age, training status, and mode of exercise.

Heredity can account for a 25-50% difference in Vo2max, as well

as gender, as males typically have a higher Vo2 max by 15-20% as

compared to females. As far as peak age for Vo2 max, 18-30 is

when you peak, then it will decrease by about 8% per decade

after that. Those factors are out of the subject’s control, but

things like training status, which can increase a subject’s

Vo2max by 6-25%, or their mode of exercise are factors that they

can control (Kenney et al., 2015).

According to Kenney (2015), during acute exercise heart

rate increases linearly with exercise intensity up until maximal

exercise is achieved. In order for this increase to happen, the

removal of vagal tone is needed, followed by the removal of the

parasympathetic tone. After this occurs, the sympathetic nervous

system then releases epinephrine and norepinephrine to

accelerate the sinoatrial node, or the hearts natural pacemaker,

thus increasing heart rate. Stroke volume, or the amount of

blood pumped from the left ventricle of the heart also increases

during acute exercise in order to supply the skeletal muscle

with more oxygen. Thus, cardiac output also increases linearly

with exercise, because heart rate and stroke volume together

corm the cardiac output. Blood flow distribution is changed

during acute exercise, too. In order to supply the skeletal

muscles with oxygen, the blood vessels to the stomach

vasoconstrict, while the blood vessels to the skeletal muscles

vasodilate allowing more blood to flow to where oxygen is

needed, in the skeletal muscles. During acute exercise, systolic

blood pressure will increase linearly with exercise intensity,

while diastolic blood pressure remains the same. Lastly,

hemoconcentration increases during acute exercise, not due to an

increase in red blood cells because those remain the same, but

rather because a decrease in fluid in the body.

During acute exercise, there is an increase in tidal volume

and an increase in breathing frequency. This is done by the use

of baroreceptors, which detect an increase in blood pressure,

chemoreceptors which detect an increase in blood acidity, and

proprioceptors which detect an increase in movement. Hormonal

changes are also seen in acute exercise, such as an increase in

epinephrine, norepinephrine, antidiuretic hormone, cortisol and

growth hormone, and a decrease in insulin.

There are a couple different factors that could limit one’s

aerobic capacity, but in a study done by Moorcfoft et al.,

(2005) they looked at adults with cystic fibrosis to figure out

what the limiting factor to aerobic exercise would be. They

measure heart rate, ventilation, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide

output, oxygen saturation and blood lactate at peak exercise.

Upon completion of this study, it had shown the researchers that

blood lactate concentration levels and symptoms of muscle effort

when the subjects were experiencing dyspnea, thus showing that

lactic acid buildup was a limiting factor in aerobic capacity

(Moorcroft et. al., 2005).

Directive Question:

It has been shown that chronic aerobic exercise is

effective in improving quality of sleep. A study was done on

patients with chronic primary insomnia to see the effects of

moderate aerobic exercise over a 4-month intervention. A

baseline was gathered before the intervention, and compared to

the baseline there were reductions in depression symptoms,

plasma cortisol, and overall an improved quality of sleep.

Overall, chronic aerobic exercise improved sleep, reduced

depression symptoms and levels of cortisol within the blood, and

improved immune function (Passos et al., 2014)

A similar study was done by Reid, Baron, Lu, Naylor, Wolf,

and Zee (2010), which looked at 17 sedentary adults with

insomnia over a 16-week period. This was a randomized controlled

trial which the physical activity group completed 16 weeks of

aerobic physical activity. The physical activity group showed

improvements in sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration,

daytime dysfunction, and sleep efficiency as compared to the

control group. Also noted were the reduction of depressive

symptoms in the physical activity group compared to the control.

Both studies mentioned above reported an improvement in quality

of sleep when implementing a chronic aerobic exercise

intervention.

References

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of sport and exercise (6th ed.). Champaign, IL: Human

Kinetics.

Loe, H., Nes, B. M., & Wisløff, U. (2016). Predicting VO2peak from

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Moorcroft, A. J., Dodd, M. E., Morris, J., & Webb, A. K. (2005).

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ergometry in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Nichols, H., & Legg, T. (2017, February 23). The top 10 leading

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