Your heart rate is a useful bit of information. You can use it to assess and guide the intensity of aerobic workouts. Your target exercise heart rate is based on your maximum heart rate, or MHR. Medical professionals use a treadmill heart rate test to determine MHR and as a diagnostic tool to detect heart disease. Athletes use treadmill MHR tests to evaluate their progress.
Description
The basic idea of a treadmill maximum heart rate test is simple. You run at an increasing pace with the treadmill set to an incline to simulate uphill running. When you are running all out, your heart rate will reach its maximum. There are different formats, called protocols, for MHR tests. According to the Sports Doctor, the Bruce stress tests are normally administered by medical professionals. However, some formats don't require others to assist and are suitable for self-testing.
Requirements
Maximum heart rate is the number of times per minute your heart beats with peak physical effort. It takes several minutes to work up to your MHR, so you must be at least moderately fit to take a treadmill MHR test. If you are at risk of coronary heart disease or a related condition, do not attempt a self-test unless your physician says it's OK. You'll need a heart monitor. However, many treadmills come equipped with heart monitors, so check the one you'll be using before you go buy one. Do not eat for at least an hour before the test, as this may lead to acute nausea. Before you start any treadmill MHR test, jog slowly for about 15 minutes to warm up.
Bruce Protocol
Health professionals often administer the Bruce stress test to detect and diagnose heart problems. For these diagnostic tests, only the first three or four phases of the protocol are normally required. When you take this test to determine maximum heart rate, you continue until you are exhausted. There are seven phases in the Bruce protocol, each lasting for three minutes. Each is run faster and at a steeper incline than the previous phase. You start at 2.74 kph, or about 1.7 mph. The treadmill is set to a 10 percent incline. If you are in extremely good physical condition, you may reach the final phase. In this phase you run 9.65 kph, or 6 mph, at a 22 percent incline. For this final phase only, you run until exhausted.
Self-test
To self-test your MHR, start by making an estimate. Subtract your age from 226 if you are female or 220 if you are male. After you warm up, run hard enough to raise your heart rate to 40 beats per minute below your estimated MHR. For most people this takes about a minute. For the next three minutes, increase your pace so your heart rate goes up 10 beats per minute. At this point you'll be at 10 beats per minute less than your estimated MHR. For the final, or fifth, minute, run all out. Your heart rate at the end of the fifth minute is your maximum heart rate.
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