A comparison between predicted VO2 max from the Astrand procedure and the Canadian Home Fitness Test

The purpose of this study was to compare the predicted maximal oxygen concumption derived from the Canadian Home Fitness Test (CHFT) and the Astrand ergometer test to the observed VO2 max determined from a progressive multi-stage treadmill test. Sixty-four sedentary subjects (35 males and 29 females) ranging in age from 20 to 54 years participated in the study. The mean VO2 max measured on the treadmill for males and females was 34.6 +/- 6.0 ml/kg/min while the Astrand procedure predicted a mean VO2max of 29.6 +/- 6.5 ml/kg/min and the CHFT predicted a mean VO2 max of 34.8 +/- 5.0 ml/kg/min. Statistical analysis revealed a significant under-prediction (P less than 0.001) of the VO2 predicted by the Astrand test to the VO2 max derived from the treadmill test while there were no differences between the treadmill VO2max and that predicted by the CHFT. When the male and female values were analyzed separately, the same results were seen in the males. For the females, however, there were no significant differences among predicted and observed values. It concluded that the CHFT provided an adequate prediction of cardio-respiratory fitness as well as, if not superior to, the Astrand procedure.