Introduction

The human body is designed for the performance of exercise. Habitual patterns of exercise activity are known to be linked to health, well-being, and risk of disease. In fitness and athletics, exercise capacity is linked to performance and achievement. In clinical medicine, exercise performance is intricately related to functional capacity and quality of life. Hence the importance of exercise testing and interpretation as a means of determining exercise capacity and identifying factors which might limit exercise performance. Exercise professionals, whether concerned with physical fitness and sports or clinical medicine and rehabilitation, should be well versed in methods of exercise testing and interpretation. Hence the need for a practical guide to assist in this undertaking.

A wide variety of methods have evolved for the purpose of assessing exercise capacity and identifying specific limiting factors. Field tests are commonly used in fitness and sports to assess athletic performance, but can be used to assess progress in clinical or rehabilitative settings. Laboratory exercise protocols are also used to assess fitness and are often combined with electrocardiography to diagnose coronary artery disease. Symptom-limited, incremental exercise testing, including measurement of ventilation and gas exchange, has proven to be an important diagnostic, clinical, prescriptive, and rehabilitative tool. These more complex laboratory tests evaluate the integrated human cardiovascular, ventilatory, and musculoskeletal responses to exercise. Whether the assessment is conducted in the field or in the laboratory, all of these exercise tests require careful attention to detail if meaningful information is to be derived.