A treadmill test to determine heart rate is one of the best tools a doctor can use to measure the health of your heart and help prevent possible problems. But a treadmill test is not just for patients at risk for health problems. It is also useful for athletes.
Exercise Stress Test
The exercise stress test has many names, including treadmill test and cardiac stress test. This test is designed to monitor your heart rate when your body is working or exercising. A typical exercise stress test involves placing sensitive electrodes on your chest and other monitors on your arms and fingers. These receivers are then hooked up to machines that display and record your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and your electrocardiogram, or EKG.
Purpose
The purpose of a treadmill test to determine your heart rate is to aid in the diagnosis of any heart problems. These problems can include arterial blockages, coronary artery disease and angina, or chest pain. Doctors also use treadmill tests to track changes in a patient after medication for a problem has been prescribed. In some cases, a treadmill test can help doctors establish possible risk for cardiac arrest in patients, preventing heart attacks and saving lives.
Athletes
Professional athletes who regularly train at high-intensity levels are often subjected to treadmill tests to determine their heart rate. Rather than diagnose problems with their heart, these tests are used to maximize their training ability. Treadmill tests can accurately determine a person's maximum heart rate for exercise with information about how his heart performs under stress. With that information, athletes can push their bodies to the limit when training or competing.
Heart-Rate Monitor
Monitoring your heart rate is a way to track your own fitness improvements. While it does not provide the same accuracy or depth of information and should not be used to diagnosis health problems, a standard wrist-worn heart-rate monitor can display and record your heart rate during normal workouts. You can track your heart rate every few weeks. With regular exercise, you should be able to complete the same running routines on the treadmill while maintaining a lower heart rate.
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