Development of an Elliptical Trainer Physical Fitness Test

摘要

A cardiovascular fitness test is one element of the U.S. Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT). This report presents the results of 3 studies that evaluated the potential use of a commercially available elliptical trainer, the CT 9500 HR, for this testing: (Study 1) Different machines produced virtually identical calorie expenditure estimates when a test subject performed a series of bouts at the same resistance and stride rate on each machine; (Study 2) The calorie expenditure reported by the CT 9500 HR during 12-minute exercise bouts was highly correlated (r = .900) with the energy expenditure measured by open-circuit spirometry (OCS); the machine report was '34 Kcal higher than the OCS estimate; (Study 3) CT 9500 HR calorie estimates recorded during 12-minute exercise bouts accurately predicted run times (women, r = .890; men, r = .900). The slope of the regression of run time on CT 9500 HR calories was the same for men and women, but the intercept was higher for women than for men. Potential PRT standards for the CT 9500 HR were identified by using these equations to match CT 9500 HR performance to current PRT standards for the 1.5-mile run for men and women.