Aerobic fitness assessments are done on individuals prior to starting an exercise program to help determine the current level of cardiovascular fitness of the individual. This helps fitness instructors or trainers to decide on the type and intensity of exercise program to start with and the progression needed to improve cardiovascular fitness and well-being.
There are many methods to directly measure aerobic fitness through maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max). However, it is more practical to use predicting test such as the mCAFT(Modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test) and the YMCA protocol. The mCAFT is a step test that is done by having the individual perform consecutive stepping up and down 1 or 2 steps following a set speed until 85% max heart rate is reached. Then, depending on the last level completed, age, and body weight, aerobic fitness score is calculated. The YMCA protocol is similar to the mCAFT, but instead of stepping, it requires cycling until the 85% max heart rate is reached. The result is calculated using the heart rates during the last 2 stages of the test, VO2 cost of the last 2 stages, and body mass. Higher scores are related to higher aerobic fitness level.