Assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical and community settings: Lessons and advancements in the 100th year anniversary of VO2max

Abstract

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a well-established biomarker that has applications to all adults across the health and disease spectrum. Despite overwhelming evidence supporting the prognostic utility of CRF, it remains vastly underutilized. CRF is optimally measured via cardiopulmonary exercise testing which may not be feasible to implement on a large scale. Therefore, it is prudent to develop ways to accurately estimate CRF that can be applied in clinical and community settings. As such, several prediction equations incorporating non-exercise information that is readily available from routine clinical encounters have been developed that provide an adequate reflection of CRF that could be implemented to raise awareness of the importance of CRF. Further, technological advances in smartphone apps and consumer-grade wearables have demonstrated promise to provide reasonable estimates of CRF that are widely available, which could enhance the utilization of CRF in both clinical and community settings.

Keywords: Cardiopulmonary exercise test; Functional capacity; Physical activity; VO(2max).