Live Long and Prosper Blog Article Question

[Blue Quaker]

Hi,
In the recent email/newsletter that I received from SDI/TDI there was an article concerning fitness to dive. There was a "test" in the article to determine fitness to dive...

"You can assess your VO2max on a treadmill quickly and easily. Using a treadmill, if you are able to maintain the speed of 3mph (4.8km/h) at 20% incline you are working at 11.6 METs and if the incline is 25% you are working at 13.6 METs. However, once again, repeating myself and being intentionally annoying to you, I will state clearly that you must consult your family physician and be cleared to perform this extremely demanding test."

The author suggested that this would be something that you could do to assess one's fitness level. My problem with this is that I recently purchased a treadmill and the model (NordicTrack C990) maxes out at 15 degree incline, even though it will max at 12mph. I did some research online and couldn't find a regular treadmill that will go further than a 15 degree incline. How do you assess your fitness level if the regularly available treadmills don't comply with the described test?

I asked the same question online in the comments box at the end of the article but my comments never appeared at the end of the article and no one has responded to my questions so far. Are the numbers in the article correct? Is there a special type of treadmill needed to do the test? Any response would be appreciated..

 

[Jcp2]

There are fitness watches with heart rate monitors that will measure heart rate variability at rest and from there calculate vO2 max from a formula that is pretty accurate when compared to an active test.

 

[tarponchik]

Can you place an 8"x8" wooden beam under the end of your treadmill to increase the angle?

 

[Blue Quaker]

Hi jcp2, I have a watch that checks heart rate, the treadmill has a hand grip monitor system so I don't really want to go for another watch.... good info though... Thanks.

Tarponchik, I don't think that would be practical in my basement. It also wouldn't give me an accurate degree measurement. My treadmill adjusts in 0.5 degree increments from 0-15 degrees. Some treadmills that I looked at only had a 0-10 degree range. I can't find one that even adjusts to the parameters mentioned in the test in the article, which was why I wondered if there was a typo somewhere. Maybe a phone call to SDI/TDI might get an answer. I posted my question in the comments section of the blog a while ago and got no response, so I thought someone from HQ might see this thread and give me an answer... so far nothing has showed up.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Just out of curiosity, why wouldn't lifting the front end of your treadmill to increase the angle give you an accurate degree measurement? You could honestly use a simple protractor to get a measurement. Or your could measure the distance between the floor and the bottom of the front of your treadmill and then measure the length of your treadmill and then find the angle that way. Then add that number to the 15 degrees the platform raises to get your total degrees of grade. So I'm not certain how placing an object (in this case a wooden plank) under the front end wouldn't give you an accurate measurement. You're still increasing the grade on which you're running

 

[Blue Quaker]

Hi Sh0rtBus, my treadmill (according to the crew who delivered/installed it) is supposed to be on a flat level surface when it is used. I presume this is so the frame doesn't get torqued out of true when I am pounding on it. I just got it in January and don't want to invalidate the warranty

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Hi Sh0rtBus, my treadmill (according to the crew who delivered/installed it) is supposed to be on a flat level surface when it is used. I presume this is so the frame doesn't get torqued out of true when I am pounding on it. I just got it in January and don't want to invalidate the warranty

I didn't think of that. Makes sense.

 

[yle]

"Fitness to dive"? I test mine by going diving. I go into the water, swim around underwater for a while, exit the water. Repeated this test many times, always passed.

Seriously though... I just found an online treadmill MET calculator. Apparently using

12% incline at 4.4 mph

or

15% incline at 4.0 mph

will get you 13.1 MET. Dropping those speeds to 3.9 and 3.6, respectively, will get you around 11.1 MET.

And... the calculator allows inclines of 20 and 25%, and even beyond. So it's possible the author of the article used those incline numbers as an example, ran them through a similar calculator, and didn't verify that they are reasonable settings for actual treadmills.

 

[tarponchik]

"Fitness to dive"? I test mine by going diving. I go into the water, swim around underwater for a while, exit the water. Repeated this test many times, always passed.

Seriously though... I just found an online treadmill MET calculator. Apparently using

12% incline at 4.4 mph

or

15% incline at 4.0 mph

will get you 13.1 MET. Dropping those speeds to 3.9 and 3.6, respectively, will get you around 11.1 MET.

And... the calculator allows inclines of 20 and 25%, and even beyond. So it's possible the author of the article used those incline numbers as an example, ran them through a similar calculator, and didn't verify that they are reasonable settings for actual treadmills.

So his incline was virtual? Hope his fitness isn't.

 

[Blue Quaker]

"Fitness to dive"? I test mine by going diving. I go into the water, swim around underwater for a while, exit the water. Repeated this test many times, always passed.

Seriously though... I just found an online treadmill MET calculator. Apparently using

12% incline at 4.4 mph

or

15% incline at 4.0 mph

will get you 13.1 MET. Dropping those speeds to 3.9 and 3.6, respectively, will get you around 11.1 MET.

And... the calculator allows inclines of 20 and 25%, and even beyond. So it's possible the author of the article used those incline numbers as an example, ran them through a similar calculator, and didn't verify that they are reasonable settings for actual treadmills.

HI yle,
Thanks for the info. I went online looking for a calculator and found this

http://www.csecho.ca/wp-content/the...diomath/index.php?eqnHD=stress&eqnDisp=mvo2tm

It seems to originate at Duke U. the numbers in the article also show up as "Excellent" on the assessment score table. I have been diving for 42 years (64 years old) and still get in the weights room 3 times a week. I also hike and snowshoe. I plugged my numbers into the calculator (3.6mph x 8%)and got a "Fair" rating. I move at this level for 20 minutes before the cooldown starts. When I read the fine print on the website I found it seemed that the numbers related to the max settings you could move at until you had to stop... not the numbers you used for a workout..... Anyone know if that is correct?