The Modified Bruce Treadmill Testing Protocol
The Bruce Protocol is a common method for estimating VO2max in clients. VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is one factor that can determine your capacity to perform sutained exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance. VO2max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. This fitness assessment will estimate one’s VO2max using a formula rather than using direct measurements that require the collection and measurement of the volume and oxygen concentration of inhaled and exhaled air. This protocol will be modified to walking and light jogging speeds in order to provide a safe margin of heart rate and intensities for each client. At each stage heart rate and blood pressure will be measured to assess whether the client can move on to the next stage of the test. Completing this assessment will allow us to see where your exercise aerobic and anaerobic thresholds are at and what intensities of work-outs are the safest to endure during our sessions. The test can be terminated whenever the client feels maximally fatigued or is showing symptoms of low blood sugar/glucose.
