JBST- Treadmill HRmax Test...

This Max test originates from Lamb (1984) and was designed to ascertain VO2max.
You can also use it to get maximum heart rate but be prepared for a very hard 10-14 min effort .

You need the following:

(a) a friend to control the treadmill and shout at you to keep going and dig deep,
(b) a treadmill with speed and incline functions,
(c) heart rate monitor set to record every 5-seconds,
(d) a diary to log the results.


Start easy with a very steady jog (5 mins at 5mph - 0%) and then build until you are unable to run and are totally exhausted following the 1-minute progressions shown in the table below.

You need to give your all - this is MAX so make it like it's your last effort on this earth! Often treadmills will have a gymnastics crash mat behind them or an emergency stop botton to ensure minimal damage to the exhausted athlete.

SESSION OBJECTIVE: to find maximal heart rate.
This can be compared against known data to ascertain top-end performance potential.

You must read our terms of use before starting the test below:

"The MAX TM test"
Time (mins)	SPEED - GRADE (mph & percent)	Oxygen cost (ml.kg.min)
1	5mph - 5%	36.0
2	5 - 7.5	39.2
3	6 - 5	43.0
4	6 - 7.5	46.6
5	7 - 5	49.4
6	7 - 7.5	53.6
7	8 - 5	56.4
8	8 - 7.5	60.9
9	8 - 10	65.8
10	8 - 12.5	70.7
11	9 - 10	73.5
12	9 - 12.5	78.8
13	9 - 15	84.4
14	10 - 12.5	87.2
AFTER EXHAUSTION	Active cool down	Reduce to 10 mins @ 3mph-0% . Sip water and cool off.
	Post Mortem	Look at the data. Is it a lot worse than before? Your best ever? Are you ill? Slightly over-trained? Tired? Had you rested the day before? REMEMBER: MAX TESTS will be worse in the deep winter (Oct-Jan) than summer values (May-Sept).

No unauthorised part copying, edited copying or electronic transmission allowed without permission.
Reference: Lamb, D.R. (1980) Physiology of Exercise. Macmillam Publishing. p.182. Table 9.5

© All copyright Joe Beer 2003. [terms of use]