The single-stage treadmill walking test, also called the Ebbeling treadmill test, was developed in 1991. This is a quick test that requires only a treadmill and heart monitor to estimate VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption. The Ebbeling treadmill test is designed to work for a specific group, so it is not applicable to everyone.
Function
The Ebbeling treadmill test is a submaximal cardio test that estimates your VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake. VO2 max is your body's ability to utilize oxygen. It is a measurement of your aerobic fitness and overall health. VO2 max is expressed as millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute, ml/kg/min. The single-stage treadmill walking test estimates the VO2 max of non-athletic, apparently healthy adults between ages 20 and 59.
Setting Up the Test
The only equipment you need for the Ebbeling treadmill test is a treadmill with an incline and a heart rate monitor. The treadmill must have incline settings of 0 percent and 5 percent. Before beginning the test, calculate your maximum heart rate using the 220-minus-age formula. Warm-up for four minutes at a 0 percent incline. Adjust the walking speed to bring your heart rate to between 50 percent and 70 percent of your heart rate maximum.
The Test
After the four minute warm-up, continue at the same speed at a 5 percent incline for four minutes. Record your average heart rate from the last 30 seconds of the last two minutes. If your heart rate differs by more than 5 bpm, walk for another minute and use the heart rate readings from the last 30 seconds of these last two minutes. For example, if your heart rate was 150 during the last 30 seconds of the third minute and 156 during the last 30 seconds of the fourth minute, keep walking another minute. If your heart rate for the last 30 seconds is 152, take the average of 152 and 156.
The Equation
Decrease your speed to a slow walk and the incline to 0 percent and cool-down for 2 to 5 minutes. After you complete the test, enter your heart rate into the following equation: 15.1 +21.8 (speed in mph) - 0.327 (SS HR in bpm) - 0.263 (speed x age in years) + 0.00504 (SS HR in bpm x age in years) + 5.98 (gender; female = 0, male = 1). If you are a 35 year old female and walked at 4.0 mph at a grade of 5 percent with a heart rate of 154, your estimated VO2 max is 42.31 ml/kg/min.
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