Comparison of Treadmill Based and Track Based Rockport 1 Mile

International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 215

Vol.8; Issue: 1; January 2018

International Journal of Health Sciences and Research

www.ijhsr.org ISSN: 2249-9571

Short Communication

Comparison of Treadmill Based and Track Based

Rockport 1 Mile Walk Test for Estimating Aerobic

Capacity in Healthy Adults Ages 30-50 Years

Rekha Chaturvedi, Sivachidambaram Kulandaivelan, Vandana Yadav

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physiotherapy, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology,

Hisar-125001. Haryana. India

Corresponding Author: Rekha Chaturvedi

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present paper was to compare the treadmill based submaximal test with the standard

field based submaximal test to estimate aerobic power in Indian middle aged population. Study type is

correlational study based on cross-sectional survey. 40 subjects aged 30-50 years were randomly

selected following specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. 1-mile walk test was conducted 3 times (2

times on treadmill and 1 time on track) with at least 4 days gap in-between the tests. Aerobic power

was calculated using standard formula. Data was analysed using IBM-SPSS software (version 21.0).

Treadmill based tests estimated higher aerobic power than track based test. There was a moderate

correlation between track based and treadmill based aerobic power estimation (r 0.640). The

relationship was excellent between the treadmill based tests (r 0.960). This study shows treadmill

based 1-mile walk test is a reproducible test in Indian middle aged population.

Key Words: Walk test, Exercise test, Oxygen consumption, Middle aged, Human

INTRODUCTION

Cardiovascular endurance is an

important component of an individual

fitness and VO

max estimation is widely

considered to be an excellent indicator of

cardiorespiratory fitness.

[1]

This can be

measured in two ways: direct and indirect

methods. However, direct measurement is

the most accurate but has several drawbacks

(i.e) expensive, time consuming hence may

not be suitable for population based studies.

[2]

Moreover, direct assessment of VO

max

requires a maximal or near-maximal effort

from the subject, which is often difficult to

elicit from individuals with low

cardiorespiratory fitness especially middle

and older population. The need for direct

supervision by a physician when evaluating

older individuals or those with known

cardiovascular disease or associated risk

factors adds to the challenge of

administering maximal exercise tests to

assess VO

. Submaximal tests like step

tests, walk and/or run tests are useful to

measure VO2max in these individuals.

[2]

Many indirect methods of measuring

max using submaximal tests has been

developed

[2,3]

but the advantages and

limitations of these tests has been reported

by Sartor et al. who highlighted the

importance of repeatability of submaximal

tests in these population to be studied.

[4]

Developed by Kline et al. Rockport

1-mile walk test is one of common method

to estimate VO2 max in different age group.

[5]

A modification of Rockport test was

suggested by Widrick et al., 1992 that

performing this test on laboratory as well as

Rekha Chaturvedi et al. Comparison of Treadmill Based Walk Test with Standard Rockport Testing

International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 216

Vol.8; Issue: 1; January 2018

on field would increase its utility.

Performing Rockport 1 mile test on

treadmill would improve close subject

monitoring and allows testing when not

having access to measured miles also,

controlled lab environment would improve

the reliability and repeatability. Since it is

done in track, environmental factors could

affect the estimation which could be

prevented by treadmill based estimation.

Reliability of treadmill based 1-mile walk

test was first reported by Widrick et al.

[6]

subsequently published in Indian literature

too.

[7]

But it has to be seen whether it can

be administered in Indian middle aged

population or not. So the purpose of this

study is to determine whether Rockport 1

mile testing on treadmill is better method of

estimating VO

max than standard method

of Rockport 1 mile walk test in Indian

population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty subjects (20 male and 20

females) age ranging from 30 years to 50

years were selected by convenient sampling

from the neighbourhood. The participants

were excluded if they had history of

cardiovascular disease; back pain from last

1 months; knee pain from last 1 month and

are on blood pressure medications and had

no history of acute or chronic medical

condition. The qualified participants were

asked to read and sign an informed consent

form.

Each selected participant were asked

to complete 3 exercise tests: 1 mile brisk

walking on treadmill on baseline and after

rest of 4 days one mile brisk walking on the

track followed by one mile brisk walking on

treadmill again with a gap of 4 days . Time

taken to complete the distance and heart rate

(HR) at the end of tests were recorded along

with age and sex. HR was measured with a

pulseoxymeter and the time to complete the

distance was noted with a stop watch. Each

test was conducted on separate day with at

least 4 days gap in between the tests to

eliminate possible fatigue effects.

[8]

On baseline, body weight to nearest

to 1.0 kg and height to the nearest to 1.0 cm

were measured. Participants were instructed

to take good sleep (at least 6-8 hrs) and to

avoid too much food, caffeine, tobacco

products or alcohol for 3 hours prior to

testing.

[2]

Participants were also asked to

avoid strenuous exercise 12 hrs prior to

testing.Out of the forty subjects 2 females

were not able to complete the treadmill test

on Day 1 because of exertion so were

excluded from the study.

Following a familiarization trial on

day 1 each subject was asked to walk

briskly on electromechanical flat treadmill

[Bodyfit, India] for 1-mile. On day 5, the

subjects were asked to 1-mile brisk walk on

a track and a Pedometer was used to

measure the distance. The subjects were

reminded to maintain the speed throughout

the test without running or jogging. On day

10 the subjects completed the testing after

walking on treadmill again for 1 mile.

Aerobic power was calculated using

following formula:

VO2max [ml.kg

-1

.min

-1

] =132.853 - 0.0769

(weight in pounds) - 0.3877 (age in years) +

6.315 (1 for male; 0 for female) - 3.2649

(time in minutes) - 0.1565 (heart rate in

beats.min

-1

)

Statistical Analysis

Data was analysed using IBM-SPSS

software (version 21.0). Pearson Co-relation

was used to determine the co-relation

between the variables.

RESULTS

Mean (standard deviation) of VO2

max on 1

time (T1) and 2

time (T2) on

treadmill was 34.68 (9.99) ml.Kg

-1

.min

-1

and 35.21 (9.67) ml.Kg.min-1 respectively

suggesting no significant difference between

the readings. However, track based value for

VO2 max was significantly lower [22.29

(14.66)] than treadmill based. 4 female

participants reading were excluded as their

VO2 max was too low (negative readings).

An excellent correlation exists (r

0.960) between 1

and 2

treadmill based

value for VO2 max (Figure 1), but the level

Rekha Chaturvedi et al. Comparison of Treadmill Based Walk Test with Standard Rockport Testing

International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 217

Vol.8; Issue: 1; January 2018

of correlation decreased when the values

were correlated with track based VO2 max

(r 0.640 for T1 and 0.646 for T2).

DISCUSSION

The objective of this paper was to

see whether treadmill based 1-mile walk test

is a better way of estimating VO

max than

standard track based method in middle aged

Indian population. The results showed that

there is excellent correlation between two

trails of treadmill walking whereas

moderate correlation is observed between

treadmill based and track based walking

tests. Treadmill based walking test estimates

higher VO2 max than track based walk test.

Pober et al., 2002 studied the

correlation between treadmill based 1-mile

walk test and actual VO2 max through

direct method in middle and old age

population (40-79 years).

[9]

They found

moderate correlation (r 0.80) between the

two methods. Treadmill based 1-mile walk

test value of the present study (r 0.960) is

similar to track based testing on Malaysian

youth (age 19-25 years)

[8]

and US old aged

(age 50-69 years) women.

[10]

During the testing on track it was

observed that participants took more time to

complete the distance due to varying their

pace of walking even after instructing them

to walk briskly, whereas in the treadmill

test, the speed remained constant.

Advantage of treadmill based test is that the

values of VO

max calculated were as per

standard norms for middle aged population.

We assumed that since both time and

HR are in equation for calculation of

max, intensity of effort would not

influence the VO2 max estimation as latter

has negative association with HR (i.e. if

intensity of effort high, individual would

finish short duration with higher HR). But

the results of this study suggests that

whenever the duration of completing the

distance exceeds 20 minutes, it affects the

value of VO

max greater than the end HR.

Hence while selecting the speed of

treadmill, it should be 5 Km.hr

-1

at starting

point and speed should be adjusted with HR

(120 to 160 beats.min

-1

) in this population.

If the HR is above 160 beats.min

-1

speed of

the treadmill should be reduced and if it is

below 120 beats.min

-1

speed of the treadmill

should be increased to get the appropriate

values of VO

max of the individual. Thus,

initial selection of speed followed by

adjusting the speed according to HR is

important for appropriate estimation of VO

max.

CONCLUSION

Treadmill based 1 mile walk test is a

reliable method to estimate VO2 max in

middle aged Indian population. It could be

used as indirect method to assess aerobic

fitness in large scale, population based

studies.

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How to cite this article: Chaturvedi R, Kulandaivelan S, Yadav V. Comparison of Treadmill

based and Track based Rockport 1 mile walk test for estimating aerobic capacity in healthy

adults ages 30-50 years. Int J Health Sci Res. 2018; 8(1):215-218.